Modeling and control of a convertible airplane

This paper presents the mathematical model of a fixed wing mini-UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). The mini-UAV is not a tail-sitter configuration and takes-off with the fuselage at the horizontal position. An experimental prototype driven by four brushless motors has been built including the onboard avionics. The applied control law is based on separated saturation functions algorithm. Numerical simulations have shown the satisfactory performance of the proposed control law in vertical take-off and hover. The prototype has also been tested experimentally in hover only and the control strategy has achieved that orientation angles have been regulated close to the origin.