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Design and Development of a High-Speed UAS for beyond Visual Line-of-Sight Operations

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Abstract

This paper provides details on best practices for vehicle design for BVLOS missions, with a focus on robust control links and real-time health monitoring.The development work presented herein focuses on a specific mission to set the speed and distance world record for a fully autonomous vehicle, requiring development of analytic tools for estimating vehicle range and endurance, as well as models for predicting command and control link integrity while operating BVLOS. Range and endurance estimates are developed using a novel real-time system identification algorithm onboard the vehicle for aerodynamic parameter estimation, and propulsion system characterization. Flight-testing methods and results are presented demonstrating the capabilities of these algorithms, with results from a unique test-case involving an unintended fault during the record flight. In addition to the vehicle performance assessment, Friis-based models are introduced to provide a pseudo real-time communications link range assessment. The predictive communications range models were refined using specific antenna and system characterization data measured in a compact range facility resulting in a detailed link budget useful for addressing BVLOS command and control requirements. The combination of aircraft and radio-frequency performance prediction models with supporting flight-testing techniques applied to small unmanned aerial systems provides critical insight into the design of future vehicles, and validation of existing systems tasked with performing BVLOS missions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Ligado Networks (Mike Gagne, Sam Welch, David Nance, and Illya Ziskind) for their generous donations in time and resources for the satellite communication system. Additionally, the students of the Aerospace Research Center UAS Laboratory at the Ohio State University, Ross Heidersbach, Rokhaya Diawara, Madhav Shah, and Braxton Harter, assisted with aircraft fabrication and renovation. The ground crew during flight operations was Daniel Applebaum, Ryan Thorpe, Mark Sutkowy, and Wenbo Zhu. And finally, we wish to thank the chase plane crew of Ryan Smith, Jamie Struewing, and Ross Heidersbach.

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  1. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2300 W Case Rd, Columbus, OH, 43235, USA

    Matthew H. McCrink & James W. Gregory

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Correspondence to Matthew H. McCrink.

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McCrink, M.H., Gregory, J.W. Design and Development of a High-Speed UAS for beyond Visual Line-of-Sight Operations. J Intell Robot Syst 101, 31 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-020-01300-2

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