Flight-Testing of the VT-03-s Shadow Multi-Tilt-Rotor Configuration in VTOL and CTOL Operations

This paper demonstrates a flight control system architecture designed for Simplified Vehicle Operations for a vectored thrust multi-tilt-rotor subscale aircraft configuration. The core of the flight control system is the Trajectory Control System middle-loop controller. The inner-loop control system has an explicit model-following architecture. The aircraft and control system are designed to permit both vertical takeoff and landing and conventional takeoff and landing. Select flight test results are presented to demonstrate the envelope expansion that has occurred at the time of writing.