An analysis of on-line autonomous robust tracking controller based on variable structure control is presented for an aerospace launch vehicle. Decentralized sliding-mode controller is designed to achieve the decoupled asymptotic tracking of guidance commands upon plant uncertainties and external disturbances. Development and application of the controller for an aerospace launch vehicle during a...

A nonlinear flight dynamics model that can be adopted by small-scale unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) helicopters is presented. To minimize structural complexity, the proposed nonlinear model contains only four essential components, i.e., kinematics, rigid-body dynamics, main rotor flapping dynamics, and yaw rate feedback controller dynamics. A five-step parameter determination procedure is propos...

Angular maneuvering scheme along with standard flight operations such as taking-off, landing and hovering is proposed for a quadcopter with indoor or outdoor flying capabilities. This is achieved by simultaneously controlling the speed of the four rotors in order for the quadcopter to attain the correct orientation. The total thrust is determined using the inputs of altitude, pitch and roll ang...

F LIGHT dynamics education has historically been dominated in the classic textbooks by Etkin and Reid [1], McRuer et al. [2], Roskam [3], McCormick [4], and Nelson [5]. All of these texts are largely based upon the seminal textbook from the 1940s by Perkins and Hage [6], and the linear modeling methods contained in the U.S. Air Force Data Compendium (DATCOM) [7]. Because Perkins and Hage [6] an...

SUMMARY This work first describes the development of a real-time flight simulator for an R-50 experimental model helicopter. A mathematical model of the helicopter is developed to represent the dynamics of the real system. This simulation model is used to investigate and analyze the helicopter dynamics in a hovering flight condition. The importance of a control rotor used for stability augmenta...

Title of dissertation: MODELING AND SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION OF AN ORNITHOPTER FLIGHT DYNAMICS MODEL Jared Grauer Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Dissertation directed by: Langley Distinguished Professor James E. Hubbard, Jr. Department of Aerospace Engineering Ornithopters are robotic flight vehicles that employ flapping wings to generate lift and thrust forces in a manner that mimics avian flyers. At...