Member-only story
Structural Mode Control System
Ever wondered about the most astonishing cases of success in implementing aircraft control systems?
Take the Structural Mode Control System of the B-1 Lancer as an example. The principal mission of the B-1 involves flying close to the terrain. Thus, the combination of low altitude turbulence and aircraft flexibility may degrade the flying qualities of the aircraft.
An alternative created to actively damp the effects of these atmospheric disturbances is the automatic structural mode control system. This system utilizes a set of aerodynamic vanes near the crew station to produce control forces.
The canards located near the crew station are the key element of the B-1 Lancer’s ride quality enhancement system that suppresses the unfavorable flexible motion at the pilot station. This control system is capable of artificially increasing the elastic modes’ damping using the Identical Location of Accelerometer and Force concept.
The total weight savings attributed to the implementation of the active control system, as opposed to adding structural stiffness is approximately 4000 kg.
