In this paper, a new modular adaptive control system is presented to compensate for aerodynamic uncertainties in high-performance flight control systems. This approach combines nonlinear dynamic inversion with multivariate spline-based adaptive control allocation. A new real-time identification routine for multivariate splines is presented to compensate for aerodynamic uncertainties in the control allocation system. This method, indicated as spline-based adaptive nonlinear dynamic inversion, is applied to control an F-16 aircraft subject to significant aerodynamics uncertainties. Simulation results indicate that the new controller can tune itself each time a model error is detected and has superior adaptability compared to an ordinary polynomial-based adaptive controller. Multivariate splines have sufficient flexibility and approximation power to accurately model nonlinear aerodynamics over the entire flight envelope. As a result, the global model remains intact. Although a part of the model is being reconfigured using incoming observations, the remainder of the model remains unchanged and can be used as an a priori source of information. This prevents the occurrence of sudden fundamental changes in the global model structure, which are experienced when using ordinary polynomials.
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