Stability derivatives identification of a remote controlled aircraft from flight data

• Grant number: 16/02958-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2016
• End date: March 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering - Flight Dynamics
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Afonso Angélico
• Grantee: Gabriel Setim Porto Alegre
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present project aims to identify the stability derivatives - associated to the longitudinal motion - from flight testing data of a remote-controlled aircraft. Initially, the aircraft longitudinal dynamics will be modeled using a space-state representation in Matlab®. Next, the aircraft will be instrumented with a low cost acquisition system, developed based on a free hardware platform, with several sensors: accelerometers, speed, position, orientation, etc. The parameters identification, viz. stability derivatives, will be conducted by minimizing the quadratic difference between numerical and experimental model (output error). The Levenberg-Marquart algorithm is applied to identification process. Finally, the response - with the identified parameters - will be compared to flight data from others flight tests. This project will contribute to a broader project, conducted by Department of Aeronautical Engineering of EESC-USP, which consists on the development and construction of a remote-controlled aircraft for teaching and research. (AU)