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

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.