Test and Evaluation of the Piccolo Autopilot System on a One-Third Scale Yak-54

Abstract

To gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the great ice sheets the National Science Foundation established the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) to develop technologies that would improve data gathering of said ice sheets. CReSIS was tasked with the development of an unmanned aerial vehicle, named the Meridian, which would have the ability to make use of advanced radar systems that could be used to gather data on the ice sheets of remote Polar Regions. CReSIS decided to use commercial-off-the-shelf autopilot systems on the Meridian, selecting the Cloud Cap Technologies Piccolo II UAV autopilot system as the initial system to be tested and evaluated. A process for test and evaluation of modeling, simulation and control systems is presented. Three dynamic models for a one-third scale Yak-54 are developed. A deliberate and methodical flight test program is developed to evaluate the Piccolo II flight control system. Parameter identification flight tests are performed to evaluate the three modeling and simulation techniques. Closed loop flight testing is performed to evaluate the flight control system's ability to control an aircraft and the ability of the gains to be performance optimized. Finally flaws are found in the communication system architecture of the Piccolo II autopilot system which causes the system to go pilot-in-loop unstable and to be rejected from further consideration by the CReSIS team.