New Variational Methods In Flight Dynamics | V. F. Krotov, V. Z. Burkeev , V. I. Gurman

The present volume deals with variational methods for the optimization of motion of aircraft and other objects often encountered in modern technology. The development of aeronautics and astronautics progres­ sively focuses ever increasing attention on the determination of optimum flight programs characterized by minimum time, minimum fuel consumption, maximum range, minimum cost, etc. Numerous publications which appeared in the USSR and in the West during the last 20—25 years deal with various aspects of this optimization problem. The leading contributions were made by I. V. Ostoslavskii, D. E. Okhotsimskii, A. A. Kosmodem' yanskii, and A. Miele. Their work played an important role in the development of controlled flight mechanics; they were also the first to come face to face with the fundamental difficulties that to this date plague us in the*solution of modern optimal problems. These difficulties are a result of the complex

and varied conditions that must be taken into consideration when formulating and solving the various problems.