Grumman Aerospace F-14 Tomcat Flight Control Simulation

This demonstration models a flight control system for the longitudinal motion of a Grumman Aerospace F-14 Tomcat. The implementation connects first-order linear approximations of aircraft and actuator dynamics with an analog flight control design. The system uses pilot pitch stick commands as setpoints for aircraft pitch attitude, while utilizing aircraft pitch angle and pitch rate measurements to determine control commands. A simplified Dryden wind gust model is integrated to introduce realistic atmospheric disturbances. From a technical implementation perspective, this model demonstrates key flight control concepts through: - State-space representations of aircraft longitudinal dynamics - Actuator transfer functions with appropriate time constants - PID-based control logic for attitude stabilization - Sensor feedback integration for pitch angle (θ) and pitch rate (q) measurements - Wind disturbance modeling using Dryden spectrum filters The simulation provides practical insights into flight control system operation, enhancing understanding of aerospace control principles through hands-on implementation of classical flight control algorithms and disturbance rejection techniques.