Structural weight reduction and high aspect ratio wings play a key role in improving the performance of modern transport aircraft. This leads to a highly flexible aircraft structure which is sensitive to external disturbances like gusts. To counteract this undesired effect, active control is a promising technology. In this paper, a gust load alleviation controller is designed for a wind tunnel model of a flexible wing with various trailing edge flaps and acceleration sensors. For model-based controller design and tuning, an appropriate aeroelastic model is derived describing the coupling of structural dynamics and aerodynamics. Additionally, actuator dynamics are identified and included in the model. Subsequently, the weakly damped first wing bending mode, which causes high structural loads, is isolated via H_2-optimal blending of control inputs and measurement outputs. In this way, a single-input single-output controller can be designed for the mode to be controlled. Simulation results indicate great potential of the proposed control approach, which will be verified by wind tunnel experiments in September 2018.
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