Gain scheduled missile autopilot design using a control signal interpolation technique

Abstract

The application of a recently developed methodology for gain scheduled control system synthesis to the design of a pitch channel missile autopilot is described. A control signal interpolation strategy is used to generate a family of linear autopilots from a collection of point designs. Conditions are given under which a nonlinear gain scheduled autopilot exists that linearizes to the family of linear autopilots and the interpolation scheme plays an important role in satisfying these conditions. Nonlinear simulation results indicate satisfactory performance over the specified flight envelope.