Uses Computer Algorithms To Control Fighter From Approach To
Ground Stop
There's a saying among "Viper" pilots -- they don't
fly the F-16, as much as the F-16 flies them. They may now add "and
it brings us back to Earth, too" to that axiom.
Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force Test Pilot School at
Edwards Air Force Base, CA have successfully demonstrated an
autonomous landing of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, marking the first
time an F-16 has landed entirely under computer control.
The successful Autoland demonstration lays the foundation for
consistent, repeatable and controlled automatic landings of the
F-16 in various wind conditions and airfield situations. Lockheed
Martin notes its technology has broad applications for both manned
and unmanned aircraft.
"The demonstration of an autonomous landing of an F-16 is
evidence that Lockheed Martin is prepared to successfully implement
autonomous control of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV)-type
aircraft," said Frank Cappuccio, Lockheed Martin's executive vice
president and general manager of Advanced Development Programs and
Strategic Planning. "Such technology, in concert with the skill and
experience of today's warfighter, presents a formidable force
against existing foes and provides a basis for further developing
manned and unmanned vehicles that can meet the challenges facing
the warfighters of tomorrow," he said.
The Autoland sequence is initiated during flight by an on-board
safety pilot. Once the pilot moves to "hands-off" the aircraft
controls, the F-16 is controlled by an onboard computer and guided
through several phases of the landing sequence, culminating in a
final approach to the runway touchdown point. The computer uses
Lockheed Martin-developed algorithms to control the F-16's
attitude, glide slope, airspeed, and descent rate via throttle and
flight control inputs until the aircraft comes to a stop on the
runway.
The USAF Test Pilot School provided full flight test resources
for the demonstration, including the VISTA/F-16 (Variable Stability
In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft), Calspan Corporation flight test
safety pilots (under contract to the Test Pilot School), and
testbed support and facilities. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and the
USAF Test Pilot School performed all activities in full
partnership, from initial planning through implementation and test
execution.