Enhancing Stability: A Novel Approach to Rate-Gyro Autopilot Gains Design | ||
| Journal of Engineering Science and Military Technologies | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 27 September 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejmtc.2025.420799.1334 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Hossam Hendy* 1; Abdallah Mamdouh Abu El-Wafa2 | ||
| 1Director of Space Research Center at Military Technical College | ||
| 2MTC | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The Rate-Gyro autopilot is acknowledged as a straightforward, highly dependable, and cost-efficient method for controlling tactical missiles. Its simplicity lies in its single-loop control topology, obviating the need for acceleration sensing. Notably, the airframes of most missiles exhibit pronounced oscillatory responses due to a low damping factor and relatively high natural frequency. Consequently, the flight control system serves the dual purpose of enhancing the missile's damping characteristics and aligning with guidance commands. Rapid autopilot responses are imperative for timely target interception, provided they do not compromise the overall robustness and stability of the flight system. Traditionally, the design of the Rate-Gyro autopilot hinges on two principal factors, namely the damping factor and open-loop crossover frequency. These factors are crucial for achieving resilient and stable behavior aligned with the desired guidance commands. During the autopilot gains design process, certain constraints may imperil the stability of the flight control system. Factors such as the interplay between open crossover frequency, phase margin, actuator dynamics, navigation sensor, and other delays in the control loop are pertinent considerations. Neglecting these aspects in the selection of the desired flight damping factor or autopilot gains may lead to instability in the flight system. This paper introduces an effective technique for the selection of gains and provides an explicit expression for autopilot gains design. The proposed technique incorporates considerations for the relationships among the aforementioned parameters. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Guidance; Navigation; Control; Autopilot Design; Flight Control | ||
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