A static feedback stabilizer for the longitudinal dynamics of a small scale helicopter including the rotor dynamics with stabilizer bar

Abstract

In this paper we propose a solution to the trajectory tracking problem for a small scale helicopters longitudinal dynamics. The controller results from a control design technique that constructs static feedback stabilizers for dynamically feedback linearizable nonlinear systems. The flatness characteristics of the helicopter's longitudinal dynamics are used to construct the desired trajectory showing that the main rotor thrust is never equal zero. Numerical simulations show the performance of the controller even in the case that the main rotor and stabilizer bar dynamics are included.