Short Takeoff and Landing Strategy for Small-Scale Thrust-Vectoring Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing Vehicles

Abstract

This work provides a feasible solution to the shipborne short landing problem for thrust-vectoring V/STOL vehicles. The short takeoff and shipborne rolling vertical landing strategy was designed in this work. First, the strategy design reference was established by flying performance and mission requirements, including the short takeoff and landing performance, deceleration performance, trajectory stability, velocity stability, and conversion corridor, using attainable equilibrium set methods based on the six dimensions of freedom model of the study object. Then, a piecewise short takeoff landing strategy was designed based on the references, together with a nonlinear dynamic inverse-based control designed frame for strategy execution. Finally, the hardware-in-loop Monte-Carlo simulation was implemented for the strategy feasibility verification. The proposed short takeoff and landing strategy satisfies the shipborne short takeoff and landing mission requirements. The short takeoff shortens the taxiing distance by 40% compared to a normal takeoff. With a 20% perturbance on all model parameters, the touchdown speed can be controlled to 14 ± 1 m/s, and the landing point position can be constrained inside a 5 m radius circle with almost zero lateral displacements.