ULTRA - Unmanned Low-cost Testing Research Aircraft

Flight testing on manned aircraft is expensive, since it requires, among others, certified aircraft, professional staff, and plenty of time and effort for preparation and postprocessing. Moreover, what, when, and how flight tests can be carried out is, in general, restricted by law or other regulations. To reduce the costs on flight test equipment and to lower regulatory requirements, unmanned, down-scaled research aircraft provide a reliable and cost-effective platform for technology demonstrations increasing the level of acceptance of novel concepts and methods on guidance, navigation, and control. The Unmanned Low-cost Testing and Research Aircraft (ULTRA) project, founded by the Institute of Aircraft Systems Engineering at the Hamburg University of Technology, enables such capabilities within a representative framework for research and testing adopting industry standard software and hardware components. An overview about the project objectives, the requirements, which led to specific design decisions, and the flight test platform itself are presented.