Teh Philosophy, Design, and Development of Miartes

"Miartes" is a code name for a Missile Autopilot Research and Teaching Simulator designed initially to satisfy the requirement for a special-purpose analog computer on which the principles of missile control and automatic control engineering could be taught simultaneously. The simulator is based on the roll autopilot suitable for the hypothetical missile "Flying Shrew." A sophisticated flight envelope, extending in altitude from sea-level to 70 000 feet and in speed from Mach 1.0 to Mach 2.0, necessitates a novel approach to the computer design if rescaling is to be avoided. The sophisticated ffight envelope chosen vividly illustrates the need for some form of adaptive autopilot loop. The simulator is intended to supplement more complex specialized computers, and general-purpose analog computers in an integrated course involving several specializations. It has been found that the use of the "Flying Shrew" mathematical model has enabled a thorough integration between lecture room and laboratory to be achieved. Calibration of the simulator is directly in terms of missile autopilot parameters, and, since rescaling is avoided, the effective student absorption rate is at least four times greater than with older methods of teaching. The simulator is also an excellent basis for student design and research projects.