Pitch-Axis Identification for a Guided Projectile Using a Wind-Tunnel-Based Experimental Setup

This paper details the identification of a pitch-axis model for an 80-mm fin-stabilized canard-guided projectile through a hardware-in-the-loop experimental setup. This setup is based on an autonomous functional projectile prototype installed in a subsonic wind tunnel by the means of a three-degree-of-freedom gimbal mount. A nonlinear dynamical model is first derived from flight mechanics principles; then, a linearized model is obtained through Taylor series expansion. The a priori and a posteriori identifiability of the proposed linear model are assessed, and the associated experimental input signals are accordingly designed. The model parameters are then estimated using a numerical optimization procedure, and the associated uncertainty is obtained through a boostrapping method. The results and their implication on the projectile flight control design are finally discussed.