Hypersonic Neurocontrol Actuator and Testbed (LoFLYTE

1
Hypersonic Neurocontrol Actuator and Testbed
(LoFLYTE) Accurate Automation Corporation,
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Innovation

• The LoFLYTE vehicle was the first known powered
  flight of a hypersonic waverider configuration at
  low speed, which proves that this shape can
  takeoff and land from a runway.
• Accurate Automation has developed a neural
  controller representing the first of a new
  generation of smart actuator controllers and a
  testbed vehicle on which to test fly the neural
  control system.

Accomplishments

• Designed and developed a hybrid/adaptive
  controller which automatically adapts to changing
  flight environments, such as speed, altitude,
  wind, and turbulence
• Designed a test apparatus to allow evaluation of
  the performance of the hybrid neural/adaptive
  controller in various flight environments and
  simulated the effect of control surface and
  actuator damage
• Built a 100 wind tunnel model and performed an
  extensive series of wind tunnel tests to evaluate
  the low speed performance of a Mach 5 waverider
  configuration to compare to real flight data
• Flight tested a 100 radio-controlled model of a
  jet-powered vehicle with the 419th Flight Test
  Squadron at the Air Force Flight Test Center at
  Edwards AFB
• Flight tested the neural network flight control
  system

LoFLYTE on takeoff at Edwards AFB
Government/Science Applications
Commercialization

• The LoFLYTE shape can be scaled up to a faster
  and larger configuration for an unmanned combat
  aerial vehicle, a cruise missile, or a hypersonic
  transport aircraft.
• The LoFLYTE testbed aircraft is being used to
  test additional aerospace technologies including
  Accurate Automations Neural Air Data Sensor
  subsystem, neural network engine controller,
  Fly-by-Light communications protocol, an
  advanced health monitoring system, and an
  advanced real-time data acquisition and control
  system.

• The technologies developed in this program were
  included in the proposal submitted by the
  Accurate Automation-led team for NASAs Future-X
  Pathfinder program.
• Accurate Automation has proposed the use of this
  shape as a UCAV, a hypersonic cruise missile, and
  a hypersonic target to the U.S. Navy.
• The LoFLYTE team was awarded a Small Business
  Administration Tibbetts Award in 1996.
• LoFLYTEs neural network flight control system
  was awarded Best of Whats New by Popular
  Science in 1996.
• Accurate Automation has licensed this technology
  to a major aerospace corporation.

Points of Contact NASA LaRC, J. Larry Hunt,
[phone] Accurate Automation, Richard
Saeks, [phone] 1993 SBIR Phase II
NAS1-20404