HIL Flight Simulator for VTOL-UAV Pilot Training Using X-Plane

With the increasing popularity of vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (VTOL UAVs), a new problem arises: pilot training. Most conventional pilot training simulators are designed for full-scale aircrafts, while most UAV simulators are just focused on conceptual testing and design v...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniel Aláez, Xabier Olaz, Manuel Prieto, Pablo Porcellinis, Jesús Villadangos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-12-01
Series:Information
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/13/12/585
Description
Summary:With the increasing popularity of vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (VTOL UAVs), a new problem arises: pilot training. Most conventional pilot training simulators are designed for full-scale aircrafts, while most UAV simulators are just focused on conceptual testing and design validation. The X-Plane flight simulator was extended to include new functionalities such as complex wind dynamics, ground effect, and accurate real-time weather. A commercial HIL flight controller was coupled with a VTOL convertiplane UAV model to provide realistic flight control. A real flight case scenario was tested in simulation to show the importance of including an accurate wind model. The result is a complete simulation environment that has been successfully deployed for pilot training of the Marvin aircraft manufactured by FuVeX.
ISSN:2078-2489