Modeling and Flight Control of Large-Scale Morphing Aircraft

Abstract

As morphing is an emerging topic of interest in aircraft research, the following article provides a review of the subject, with specific focus on modeling and flight control of large-scale planform altering flight vehicles. Our discussion proceeds in a fundamental manner to demonstrate that, although design methods for rigid aircraft have become highly developed, the consideration of morphing necessitates further investigation into the typically disparate fields of dynamic modeling, aerodynamic theory, and flight control theory. To clarify these points, the equations of atmospheric flight are derived in a general form, methods of integrating the aerodynamic forces are examined, and we distinguish between various approaches and methods of flight control.