Rendezvous Guidance on Circular Path for Fixed-Wing UAV

Abstract

This paper presents a guidance method to enable a fixed-wing UAV to rendezvous with a reference point that moves on a circular path. The guidance law creates a lateral acceleration command based on the phase difference from the moving point and the side-bearing angle with respect to the center of the circle. The stability of the guidance law and the effect of velocity control are provided with linear analyses. The feasibility and performance of the proposed method are demonstrated through simulations and actual flight tests.