Autonomous Flight Performance Improvement of Load-Carrying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Active Morphing

In this paper, it is aimed to improve autonomous flight
performance of a load-carrying (payload: 3 kg and total: 6kg)
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) through active wing and horizontal
tail active morphing and also integrated autopilot system parameters
(i.e. P, I, D gains) and UAV parameters (i.e. extension ratios of wing
and horizontal tail during flight) design. For this purpose, a loadcarrying
UAV (i.e. ZANKA-II) is manufactured in Erciyes
University, College of Aviation, Model Aircraft Laboratory is
benefited. Optimum values of UAV parameters and autopilot
parameters are obtained using a stochastic optimization method.
Using this approach autonomous flight performance of UAV is
substantially improved and also in some adverse weather conditions
an opportunity for safe flight is satisfied. Active morphing and
integrated design approach gives confidence, high performance and
easy-utility request of UAV users.

Authors:

• Tugrul Oktay
• Mehmet Konar
• Mohamed Abdallah Mohamed
• Murat Aydin
• Firat Sal
• Murat Onay
• Mustafa Soylak

Keywords:

• Unmanned aerial vehicles
• morphing
• autopilots
• autonomous performance.

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