FLIGHT MECHANICS, GN&C LAB

Main activities:

• Design and development of fixed and rotary wing RPV’s (Remotely Piloted Vehicles). Realization of drones powered by small thermal or electric engines. Autopilot design for vehicle and mission management. Control and guidance algorithms are realized and loaded into the onboard computer (OBC) using automatic code generation and implementation processes. The lab hosts the Sapienza Flight Team during the phases of design and realization of a radio-controlled aircraft for the AIAA/Cessna/ Raytheon Design, Build, Flight Competition taking place every year in the USA. -  Flight simulation: a static flight simulator is used for testing and validation of mathematical models of different aircraft, for the practical applications of fundamental concepts on piloting techniques, and for procedural training.

• Design of attitude determination and control systems for small spacecraft. Matlab/Simulink family products are used for the synthesis and validation of control algorithms by real-time, hardware-in-the-loop- (HITL) simulation. OBC implementation is carried out by modern tools for control system prototyping

Tools:

• Workbenches and tools for designing and building small, lightweight aircraft

• AscTec Hummingbird quadrotor featuring a  easily programmable (using Simulink) High Level processor

• dSPACE systems for flight control system prototyping and HITL simulation

• CPU, GPS, I/O, power boards in PC/104 format for OBC development

• Arduino board for flight control systems development Professional Flight Console with joke and pedals by Precision Flight Control, Inc., digital avionics and Garmin GNS 530W navigation system emulation for single and two-engine, turbo-prop or turbofan aircraft.