A unified approach to fixed-wing aircraft path following guidance and control

Abstract

This paper addresses the path following control problem for scale-model fixed-wing aircraft. Kinematic guidance and dynamic control laws are developed within a single coherent framework that exploits a simple generic model of aerodynamics forces acting on the aircraft and applies to almost all regular 3D paths. The proposed control solutions are derived on the basis of theoretical stability and convergence analyses. They are complemented by addressing several practical issues, and validated via realistic hardware-in-the-loop simulations.