Towards Autonomous Emergency Landing for an Optionally Piloted Autogyro

Abstract

In this paper, we present the development of a system for automation of the emergency maneuver for an autogyro after engine power loss. The purpose of the system is to determine a safe and feasible trajectory from the initial condition in forward flight to a final position that is suitable for final approach and landing at a desired location. The flight dynamics of the autogyro is evaluated and a flight control system is developed for the unpowered flight. A simplified dynamic model is created for generation of the gliding trajectory from the starting point to a given final position and ground track, taking into account constant wind values. This model allows us to predict the vertical speed for a given vehicle state and, through optimization, to plan feasible trajectories with minimum altitude loss. Results for generation and tracking of the optimal trajectories are presented, showing good performance and the potential to be used with a sampling-based algorithm for real-time motion planning.