Study on Deceleration and Turning Descent Technology by Maximizing Instantaneous Descent Rate for Short-range Landings of Fixed-wing UAVs

Abstract

As the use of unmanned aerial vehicles has advanced in recent years, fixed-wing UAVs have been developed for use in various fields for their high-speed and long-distance fight capabilities [1, 2]. However, fixed-wing UAVs that fly at high speeds require a long landing distance. To address this issue, this study proposes a deceleration and descent technology that incorporates multiple turning maneuvers as opposed to the conventional glide slopes that allow for descent at a constant fight speed along a normal straight-line path. This approach can shorten the horizontal and roll-out distances by decreasing fight speed at touchdown. The proposed technology combines highly accurate turn path tracking control with the generation of commands for speed deceleration and the maximum achievable descent rate based on real-time fight status. Using the proposed technology, 6-DOF simulations are carried out to confirm its validity, followed by fight experiments to evaluate its performance.