Automatic Flight Path Control of an Experimental DA42 General Aviation Aircraft

An automatic flight path controller, as part of a modular automatic flight guidance and control system, is presented, along with initial flight test results using a DA42 M-NG flying testbed. The basic principle for the flight path control is a reference model based dynamic inversion of the kinematic equations of motions, with pseudo-control hedging to account for inner loop dynamics and plant response deficits. The kinematic frame flight path commands are transformed into body-frame commands executed by inner loop and autothrust controllers for transverse and linear force control. Initial flight test results are presented, demonstrating the feasibility of the path control approach, with good tracking and disturbance performance already during early flight testing.