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arXiv · 2109.14118

Fast optimal trajectory generation for a tiltwing VTOL aircraft with application to urban air mobility

Martin Doff-Sotta·Mark Cannon·Marko Bacic
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Abstract

We solve the minimum-thrust optimal trajectory generation problem for the transition of a tiltwing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft using convex optimisation. The method is based on a change of differential operator that allows us to express the simplified point-mass dynamics along a prescribed path and formulate the original nonlinear problem in terms of a pair of convex programs. A case study involving the Airbus A3 Vahana VTOL aircraft is considered for forward and backward transitions. The presented approach provides a fast method to generate a safe optimal transition for a tiltwing VTOL aircraft that can further be leveraged online for control, and guidance purposes.

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Martin Doff-Sotta, Mark Cannon, Marko Bacic. 2021-09-29. Fast optimal trajectory generation for a tiltwing VTOL aircraft with application to urban air mobility. https://doi.org/10.13140/rg.2.2.20119.50080

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