Longitudinal Pilot-induced Oscillation Tendencies Prediction Method of Receiver Aircraft in Hose-drogue Aerial Refueling

Abstract

This paper proposes a new method for predicting longitudinal Pilot-Induced Oscillation (PIO) tendencies of receiver aircraft in hose-drogue aerial refueling. Conventional criteria of PIO are unsuited to predict the tendency while docking, owing to attitude and path of receiver aircraft needed to be control precisely. Based on mission-oriented flying qualities approach, the ground-based refueling simulation experiments have been conducted for receiver aircraft of different handling characteristics. The results show lower longitudinal PIO tendency requires adequate bandwidth of flight path response, appropriate pitch attitude zero of the short period mode and control gain. The new assessment method will be significant for flight control law design of aerial refueling mode.