A Hinge Moment Alleviation Control Strategy for Morphing Tail Aircraft Based on a Data-Driven Method

Morphing airplane technology is currently a focal point of research. For morphing airplanes, besides effective morphing strategies and control schemes, the hinge moment at the root of the vertical tail during morphing is a critical factor influencing flight safety. To prevent failure in tail morphing due to excessive hinge moments, this paper analyzes the hinge moment characteristics of the variable vertical tail structure in high-speed flight, based on a flying wing model from the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center. The proposed adaptive morphing tail hinge moment reduction (AMTHR) method is model-free, utilizing real-time data to dynamically adjust the rudder and reduce hinge moments without requiring prior knowledge of system dynamics. This method utilizes the concept of extremum-seeking control by introducing periodic perturbations to the system and adjusting the control input based on their impact on the output. This approach drives the output toward an extremum point, enabling real-time reduction of the vertical tail hinge moment. Finally, the simulation analysis is carried out under the conditions of no wind and gust disturbance, and the effect of this method on the load reduction of the tail hinge moment is verified.