Modeling and Simulation of the Soft-Wing UAV

Soft-wing UAV has a strong capability to deliver more payloads with less requirements for takeoff and landing field. It is composed of a soft ram air parafoil and a hanged unmanned powered vehicle by ropes. Using Newtonian dynamics, the soft-wing UAV model has been deduced to an 8 degree of freedom (DOF) mathematical model. Among that the parafoil canopy has 6 DOF as a rigid body and the powered vehicle has pitching and yawing motion relative to the parafoil canopy. The dynamic response of soft-wing UAV was analyzed through simulation. With the engine power taken as input to control rising, and declining, the flight height of the soft-wing UAV can be adjusted. This 8 DOF mathematical model was proved to be rational with the analysis of the simulation results, and a simulation foundation for the design of autonomous flight control algorithms is provided.