/sci/ - Science & Math

What's the best way to do the math to calculate the desired deflection of a plane's control surface in a fly-by-wire system?

Because I'm really stumped. I figured that just do it as a function of the pitch and roll of the desired angle (of the plane), but I also wanted to use thrust vectoring with just a gimbled exhaust which would naturally have to modulate its position based on both the desired pitch AND roll, so how would I do that?

Also, which would be a better overall design to try to emulate: that of the muscle-plane F-15 Active or the sleeker, sexier but ultimately more womanly Su-33 Flanker E? Pic related -- it's an F-15E StrikeEagle and an Su-35bm Flanker D. (I think! inb4 someone challenges me and says it's actually an Su-27 or something)

So far, the idea I have is to just take the sin of the angle between the nose's forward direction and the desired local pitch of the plane, and multiply that value by a constant to get how many degrees off of the control surface's normal angles it shoulg go. I've done a test with just turning a prop normally, But I have no idea how to make roll work, the nosecone always just lists off to the side. The pitch is just fine, and it keeps its own yaw in check fairly well, but it doesn't stop turning.

Help?