A User'S Guide To System Identification Methods For Helicopter And Vtol Applications

Abstract

As models play an increasingly vital role throughout the life cycle of flight vehicles, the importance of system identification in aircraft development and operations continues to grow. Navigating the wide array of system identification techniques and determining the most appropriate one can be overwhelming, particularly for new users. The unique characteristics of rotorcraft and next-generation VTOL vehicles further complicate the decision-making process, introducing specific challenges and limitations on the applicable methods.This paper provides a review of available methods and model classes for system identification,with a specific focus on rotorcraft and VTOL applications.The goal is to guide users toward making the most effective choices by clarifying how these choices are influenced by various practical considerations and constraints commonly encountered during the modeling and identification process.