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Advanced design studies indicate that use of “control configured vehicle” (CCV) concepts can provide improvements in combat capability and versatility. These benefits will be evidenced by improved performance and survivability, as well as by new maneuvering capabilities not available to pilots of current aircraft. The fly-by-wire (FBW) techniques, utilized to enable CCV, also provide the potential for improved flying qualities. The end result of applying these concepts in the preliminary design stages can be a lighter weight fighter aircraft to do a given job better.

This paper reports the results of a limited flight evaluation of Direct Lift Control (DLC) on a modified B-52 aircraft. The evaluation was made in conjunction with concluding flights of the Load Alleviation and Mode Stabilization (LAMS) Program and represents the first flight testing of a blended closed loop DLC system on an aircraft of this size and weight. By allowing the pitch and heave motions in the longitudinal axis to be decoupled, the system provided positive control of altitude displacements while holding pitch attitude constant. In both ILS approaches and aerial refueling tasks, controllability was significantly improved and pilot workload was reduced.