Control and In-Flight Diagnostic of B-52 Type Aircraft
Abstract
The democratization of rapidly advancing drone technology has enabled access to a warfare space previously denied to malicious actors with limited resources. This thesis explores potential weaponization of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) autopilot units for use in a ballistic aerial delivery mission by adopting the well-established approach of a computed aerial release point (CARP). Simulation of a model B-52aircraft equipped with a COTS autopilot to deliver a payload to the CARP was used to establish the prerequisite technological and expertise requirements inherent in achieving desired performance of the CARP mission, despite adverse flight conditions. The current state of the art in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hardware, sensors, and navigation algorithms was evaluated and used to inform the level of augmentation to a nominal COTS autopilot to enable higher levels of precision. To accomplish the objective, a framework was established to rapidly evaluate the aerodynamics, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) components of a UAV. In the developed simulation environment, a properly tuned and implemented COTS autopilot presents a menacing threat. As a result of this study, GPS denial was identified as a promising avenue in mitigating the UAV weapons delivery threat and is recommended as the subject of future research.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1114576
Entities
People
- Benjamin W. Hogin
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School