Modeling, simulation and testing for control authority assessment of a scaled flight demonstrator with distributed electric propulsion

Pepijn de Heer, Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre NLR (The Netherlands)

Abstract

In this paper, the development of the scaled flight demonstrator (SFD) with distributed electric propulsion (DEP) will be presented. The DEP-SFD is derived from the preceding SFD, aircraft with minimal configurational changes. The SFD is a scaled 1:8.5 model of a typical small and medium range (SMR) aircraft. For the DEP-SFD, the two turbojet engines are replaced by six electrically driven propellers, three on each wing. These propellers can be used actively for control with the differential thrust and propulsion airframe interaction (PAI) effects.

To analyze the dynamics and controllability of the DEP-SFD, flight tests will be performed. This will give important insights into the dynamic behavior of the DEP aircraft, adding to the traditional methods for analysis, such as wind tunnel testing. This paper discusses the development of the simulation model and controller of the DEP-SFD. This model will be used for safe test maneuver design and pilot training. The controller reduces the workload of the pilot, which is required for complex configurations with a multitude of control effectors as DEP. As this allows for automatic flight testing, this changes the role of the test pilot from controlling to monitoring.