An optimal control model of the human pilot is applied to the study of aircraft attitude control systems. Attention is focused upon documented examples where an aircraft's linear pitch attitude dynamics have led to the incidence of pilot-induced oscillations. In particular, the effects of control system time delays, or higherorder vehicle dynamics that can be represented by time delays, are examined. A simple criterion for determining an aircraft's susceptibility to pilot-induced oscillations is offered. The criterion is based upon the open-loop pilot/vehicle crossover frequency as predicted by the optimal control model. The modeling procedure offers insight into the manner in which higher-order vehicle dynamics effect pilot equalization requirements and closed-loop pilot/vehicle performance.
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Ronald A. Hess (1984) studied this question.
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