Computational aircraft dynamics and loads

An alternative approach that has the potential to advance classical methods of flight load prediction by combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD), structural flexibility and the interaction of flight control system (FCS) in a multidisciplinary analysis package is described. The method employs the concept of system identification to characterize aircraft dynamics in the state space coordinate system and includes an adaptive control law design methodology. An extended account of the theoretical basis for the new multidisciplinary flight manoeuvre analysis will be presented in one of a seven-volume series on computational mechanics by Argyris and his associates to be published shortly. However, as a precursor to the complete work, a brief account of the theoretical development leading to this loads prediction methodology is included in this paper.