Active Control for Buffet Load Alleviation on the Fin of a High Performance Training Aircraft

This paper describes the activities performed by Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with LEONARDO COMPANY S.P.A.-Aircraft Division focused on the design of an active control aiming at alleviating the buffet loads acting on the fin of a high performance training aircraft. A public finite element model, called AFA, representing a lightweight fighter has been adopted for this investigation. Starting from already available wind tunnel pressure measurements on a geometrically similar model, a buffet load model has been identified. Using this model as disturbance input, a dedicated control system has been developed and validated through numerical simulations. Both design and off-design flight conditions have been considered, inside a specific ight envelope defined including flight conditions most subjected to buffet effects.