This report presents the initial results of research in progress in the College of
Aeronautics at the Cranfield Institute of Technology. The object of the research is to
investigate the use of the Modified Stepwise Regression procedure to estimate aircraft
stability and control parameters from flight test data.
The Stepwise Regression Method for parameter identification is a procedure that inserts
independent variables into a regression model. Each time a new variable is added to the
model a regression is performed and the fit is examined when the new variable, or any
other previously included variable, may be rejected from the model if non-significant to the
fit. The iterative process continues until a satisfactory fit (or model) is obtained.
The University