Feedback Mechanism and Controller Design for Lateral Control of Propulsion-Controlled Aircraft

Using engine thrust for flight control, also known as Propulsion-Controlled Aircraft (PCA), is a possible emergency control method after total fail-ure of normal flight control system. However, the mechanism differences between PCA manipulation and conventional control surface, as well as the slow response of engines thrust, bring PCA control new characteristics and problems. This paper studies the lateral control problem of PCA. Firstly, the feedback effects of different parameters on lateral control were studied using the root locus method, reveal-ing the PCA lateral feedback control mechanism, and clarifying the key control parameters. Then, a set of PCA lateral control method is proposed, covering the complete lateral control loop from control augmentation to heading control and trajectory control. Based on the dynamic characteristics of PCA manipulation, a longitudinal-lateral control allocation method is developed, which prioritizes the pitch channel and dynamically adjusts the roll channel. Using 6DOF simulation, the effectiveness of the above controllers was verified through a complete emer-gency flight and landing mission. The results indicate that the designed lateral controller and longitudinal-lateral allocation method are reasonable and effec-tive, enabling the aircraft to complete emergency flight and landing through thrust control in the event of complete failure of normal control.