The QTW VTOL UAV, which features tandem tilt wings with propellers mounted at the mid-span of each wing, is one of the most promising UAV configurations, having both VTOL capability and high cruise performance. A six-degree-of-freedom dynamic simulation model covering the full range of the QTW flight envelope was developed and a flight control system including a transition schedule and a stabil...

Adaptive flight control is a potentially promising technology that can improve aircraft stability and maneuverability. In recent years, adaptive control has been receiving a significant amount of attention. In aerospace applications, adaptive control has been demonstrated in many flight vehicles. For example, NASA has conducted a flight test of a neural net intelligent flight control system on ...

Unmanned helicopters are increasingly popular platforms for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). With the abilities such as hovering, taking off and landing vertically, unmanned helicopters extend the potential applications of UAVs. However, due to the complex mechanism and complicated aero-flow during flight, it is almost impossible to accurately model the dynamics of an unmanned helicopter in ful...

The MIT Faculty has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters. ABSTRACT This paper investigates the dynamics of the SMART rotor, and presents a method to design a gain-scheduled controller to reduce the harmonic vibration throughout the flight envelope. The dynamics of the SMART rotor was examined at various flight conditions through nonli...

Optimal escape theory states that animals should counterbalance the costs and benefits of flight when escaping from a potential predator. However, in apparent contradiction with this well-established optimality model, birds and mammals generally initiate escape soon after beginning to monitor an approaching threat, a phenomena codified as the "Flush Early and Avoid the Rush" (FEAR) hypothesis. ...

• This project aims to simplify the modeling process with a machine learning pipeline that generates a non-linear vehicle model for simulation, control design, and analysis with minimal reliance on domain knowledge. • A locally weighted linear regression [3] approach was investigated to provide full flight envelope modeling of an unconventional Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft with ...

The modelling of dynamic effects for flight dynamics analysis typically makes use of dynamic derivatives. A single value for the derivative is used and is assumed to be independent of the conditions for which it is calculated. This is however not the case. This work looks to quantify the uncertainty introduced as a result for an arbitrary manoeuvre within the flight envelope. The manoeuvres can...

EXTENDED ABSTRACT In this work, we present a real-time 4D conflict detection and conflict avoidance algorithm in enroute traffic. The algorithm is based on identifying potential conflicts and generating flight patterns across the flight envelope of an aircraft using probabilistic search strategy. Generating flyable trajectories in air congestion and in face of obstacles such as natural objects,...

Fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the ability to hover have significant potential for applications in urban or other constrained environments where the combination of fast speed, endurance, and stable hovering flight can provide strategic advantages. This paper discusses the use of dynamic inversion with neural network adaptation to provide an adaptive controller capable of transi...

Small ducted fan autonomous vehicles have potential for several applications, especially for missions in urban environments. This paper discusses the use of dynamic inversion with neural network adaptation to provide an adaptive controller for the GTSpy, a small ducted fan autonomous vehicle based on the Micro Autonomous Systems’ Helispy. This approach allows utilization of the entire flight en...