Modeling and Simulation of a Ship Launched Glider Cargo Delivery System

The paper deals with the high-fidelity modeling and simulation of a powered parafoil-payload system with respect to its application in autonomous precision airborne cargo delivery. In the proposed concept the cargo transfer is accomplished in two phases: Initial towing phase when the glider follows the towing vessel in a passive lift mode and the autonomous gliding phase when the system is guided to the desired point. During the towing phase, the system gains as much altitude as possible by taking the angle-of-attack that will provide the best lift. Once sufficient altitude is attained, the gliding phase starts. The system is steered to the desired location by controlling the lengths of the rear suspension lines using two control inputs. The paper presents the concept of the system, its 6DoF model, the control algorithm at the stage of passive glide and the simulation results.