Mathematical Modeling and Control of the Quad Tilt-rotor UAV

The quad tilt-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (TRUAV) exhibits special application value due to its unique rotor structure. However, it has the complex operating characteristics of both the tension vector control and the air rudder control such that the flight control problem is difficult. In this paper, the theory of classical mechanics is applied to establish the mathematical models of the quad TRUAV in helicopter mode and transition mode. On this basis of the proposed models, the flight attitude controller of the transition mode from the helicopter mode to the airplane mode is designed by the backstepping method. This proposed controller can make the quad TRUAV achieve smooth transition. The simulation results verify the correctness and feasibility of the proposed scheme.