Flight Simulation Model for Small Scaled Rotor Craft-Based UAV

Abstract: Many control system designs have been developed for controlling the dynamic process of aerospace vehicles. Yet, among those designs, few are readily suitable for applying. Moreover, most of the applicable aerospace control designs are built through flight tests that perform real processes on available real vehicles. The need to use real vehicles in the control design cycle poses a high risk and is prohibitively cost. To solve this problem, a realtime simulation concept that employs cheap, practical, and rapid-to-build modular hardware, which can simulate a nearly real process in lab’s environment, is proposed in this research work. This paper elaborated the integration of nonlinear model for small scale helicopter, “Yamaha R-50”, with the sensors, servos, and wind models into a modular Simulink model. The Simulink model performed a real-time computing process and behaved like the represented helicopter dynamic system. The overall scheme of flight simulation can play a significant role in the efficient control system design for aerial vehicles.