A design procedure for a missile autopilot

A design procedure for missile autopilots incorporating a bang-bang element is discussed. The missile autopilot design is put into perspective by examining its function in the context of the guidance system. Attention is then given to the design of a pitch-autopilot system. An overview of the dynamics of the missile is given, followed by the development of a control strategy. The choice of a fixed parameter bang-bang control system leads to a design procedure which follows the course of determining performance specifications, linearizing the airframe model, using the dual-input describing function technique to analyze the bang-bang element, and a final evaluation and tuning of the control system.