Predictive flight path display for hypersonic trajectory control improvement

A predictive flight path display which presents guidance information in a 3-dimensional format is considered a means for improving trajectory control at hypersonic speeds. The visual information presented in the display comprises a tunnel image showing the command trajectory and a predictor for indicating the aircraft position at an appropriately selected time ahead. The goal is to support the pilot in controlling the flight path. For this purpose, a predictor control law has been developed which yields controlled element properties requiring minimum pilot compensation. Results from hypersonic flight simulation tests at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center are presented for experimental verification. This paper is an outcome of a joint research effort of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, the Department of Aircraft and Ships of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the Institute of Flight Mechanics and Flight Control of the Technische Universität München.