Controller Switching Mechanism for Glide under Loss-of-Thrust During Waypoint-based Path Following

This paper presents the development of automated glide component of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC). The main focus is the initiation of the glide during loss-of-thrust (LOT). The best gliding airspeed is maintained during glide. Step-by-step procedure is used to reconfigure the controller by switching in the event of LOT, and detailed instructions are given. This method mimics the pilot during an emergency. This is crucial since the workload of the pilot increases significantly in an emergency. As a result, automation helps pilots, and they can use the suggested automated gliding method to give themselves more time to make decisions. Lateral navigation to the runway with line-of-sight (LOS) algorithm is being developed concurrently, and it uses the Dubins path. The controller consists State-Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE), and incremental nonlinear dynamic inversion (INDI). With this reconfiguration, the aircraft glides to the runway safely. Results show that the proposed method is effective.