Nonlinear Modeling and Output Feedback Control Design for a Small-Scale Helicopter

This paper presents a helicopter dynamic model controlled by a nonlinear output feedback controller. Particular emphasis is placed on the mathematical modeling of the main rotor dynamics, i.e., modeling the individual dynamics of the blades and the dynamics of the main rotor stabilizing bar. Since the derived model is highly nonlinear, an output feedback controller that uses a nonlinear observer is derived and used for both stabilization and trajectory tracking. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is verified through numerical simulations.