Engineering Commons^™

Neural Networks For Dynamic Flight Control, Ronald E. Setzer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the application of artificial neural networks (NNs) to the problem of dynamic flight control. The specific application is the control of a flying model helicopter. The control interface is provided through a hardware and software test bed called the Fast Adaptive Maneuvering Experiment (FAME). The NN design approach uses two NNs: one trained as an emulator of the plant and the other trained to control the emulator. The emulator neural network is designed to reproduce the flight dynamics of the experimental plant. The controller is then designed to produce the appropriate control inputs to drive the emulator …