Autonomous Carrier Landing System for the A/V-8B Harrier like UAV

This paper presents a framework for designing an autonomous carrier landing system for the A/V-8B Harrier like UAV using gain-scheduled autopilots. A non-linear high fidelity model of the aircraft is trimmed and linearized at a number of flight conditions following which feedback gains are determined using Linear Quadratic optimal control techniques. Inter-mode coupling and control cross-coupling are investigated with an objective to suppress adverse control surface deflections. Kinematic model of a Nimitz class carrier, subjected to sea-state perturbations, is considered for simulating carrier motion. Guidance laws, which facilitate rendezvous of the aircraft with the carrier are presented. The autonomous landing system is implemented on the non-linear aircraft model, and a simulation is conducted from which it is inferred that the system successfully lands the aircraft with the required precision.