Modeling and control of an agile tail-sitter aircraft

Abstract

This paper presents a model of an agile tail-sitter aircraft, which can operate as a helicopter as well as capable of transition to fixed-wing flight. Aerodynamics of the co-axial counter-rotating propellers with quad rotors are analyzed under the condition that the co-axial is operated at equal rotor torque (power). A finite-time convergent observer based on Lyapunov function is presented to estimate the unknown nonlinear terms in co-axial counter-rotating propellers, the uncertainties and external disturbances during mode transition. Furthermore, a simple controller based on the finite-time convergent observer and quaternion method is designed to implement mode transition.