Aerobatic Flight for Robotic Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

Fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer significant performance advantages over rotary-wing UAVs in terms of speed, endurance, and efficiency. However, these vehicles have traditionally been severely limited in terms of maneuverability. Through technical advancements in controls and platform design, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is widening the flight envelope for autonomous fixed-wing UAVs.