An Analysis of Aircraft Handling Quality Data Obtained From Boundary Avoidance Tracking Flight Test Techniques

Cooper-Harper ratings (CHRs) have been used to describe and compare aircraft handling qualities for over 40 years, but are by their very nature, subjective. The subjective and sometimes ambiguous results obtained from qualitative handling quality ratings are inconsistent with the rest of the flight test process, where quantifiable results followed by statistical analysis are the norm. This thesis presents a method for obtaining accurate and consistent flight test data that quantifies the ha...