Development of Stable Automated Cruise Flap for an Aircraft with Adaptive Wing

Cruise flaps are devices designed to minimize drag, and previous research has explored using a wing-based pressure differential to automate them. Different presentations of the pressure-differential data tend to lead to the development of different types of controllers for automated cruise flaps. A presentation used by previous researchers led to an unstable drag-minimizing controller, whereas a presentation used in this research leads to a stable controller that implements multiple functions. Techniques previously used for high Reynolds number natural-laminar-flow airfoils are modified for use with the low Reynolds number SD7037 planned for future flight testing. The results of rigid-aircraft simulations are presented, showing the effectiveness of the multifunction controller, which is able to simultaneously reduce drag and alleviate the effects of vertical gusts.