Multiple model based flight control design

Flight control system for high performance aircraft has been an area of intense research. There is a need for sophisticated control strategies that aim for better performance under severe flying conditions. The coupled and time varying dynamics of these systems make the identification problem complicated. This paper addresses the problem of modeling and controlling non-linear systems by utilizing a self-organizing map (SOM). The proposed method uses multiple models of the non-linear plant for identification, as well as a multi-model controller. The mathematical formulation of the controller algorithm and the switching strategy are discussed. Preliminary results of using the proposed strategy for the identification and control of a high performance aircraft are presented to demonstrate the versatility of the algorithm.