Synthesis of a self adaptive autopilot for a large elastic booster

The design of a conventional autopilot requires a detailed knowledge of the structural dynamics of the missile that is not easily obtainable. The self-adaptive autopilot considered in this paper would not depend on this detailed knowledge. This system would, ideally, adjust itself to maintain optimum performance in an environment of changing inertial, aerodynamic, and structural parameters. The mechanization of a suitable self adaptive system is complicated by the difficulty of getting a continuous measure of system performance. The method used, in this study, to obtain the basic modes is based on decomposition of the transient response.