Parameter Estimation of a Tactical Missile Using Linear Regression

The purpose of this research was to present the method of Linear Regression as a parameter identification method to determine the longitudinal dimensional stability derivatives of a tactical missile. Missile flight histories are characterized by rapid accelerations, rapidly changing mass property characteristics with often short flight times. These characteristics make accurate parameter estimation of the missile aerodynamics more challenging than for aircraft. The simulation used for this research was created in MATLAB/SIMULINK based on the missile trajectory program, TRAP. The aerodynamic data for the 6-DoF missile model was based on a supersonic, tail controlled missile similar to an AIM-9X missile. Two command input types were investigated to determine if either could induce an excitation of the system modes of the plant being measured to lead to good estimates of the model parameters. These two input types were a high-frequency pitch doublet and band-limited white noise. The research indicated the conclusion: While the method is not as complex as other parameter estimation methods, this research shows that linear regression can be used successfully in determining longitudinal dimensional stability derivatives of a tactical missile in flight when using a control input form with higher frequency modulations, such as band-limited or filtered white noise.