Method and controller for turn coordination of an aircraft, and an aircraft with turn coordination
A method for controlling a aircraft with a plurality of drive units, in particular a plurality of electrical drive units, and a controller for flight control. At least one lateral control signal is entered into the controller for flight control in order to initiate a lateral movement of the aircraft. The significant point is that a speed (V) of the aircraft is ascertained through a speed estimation (6) and, depending on the estimated airspeed (V), a commanded roll angle (ϕ C ) and a commanded pitch angle (θ c ), a rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) is calculated. The lateral movement is automatically initiated with the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) through input of the lateral control signal.
1. A method for controlling an aircraft ( 1 ) with a plurality of drive units ( 2 ) and a controller for flight control ( 3 ), the method comprising:
entering at least one lateral control signal into the controller ( 3 ) in order to initiate a lateral movement of the aircraft ( 1 );
ascertaining a speed of the aircraft through an airspeed estimation ( 6 ) based on a commanded pitch angle (θ C ) and in dependence on a drag coefficient ( c W , c w );
depending on the estimated airspeed (V) and a commanded roll angle (ϕ C ), calculating a rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}); and
automatically initiating the lateral movement with the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) through input of the at least one lateral control signal, wherein the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) is zero below a first threshold speed (V 0 ) for the airspeed (V), so that an exclusively translatory movement is initiated.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, at the airspeed (V) between the first threshold speed (V 0 ) and a second threshold speed (Vcoor), ascertaining a reduced rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) for a coordinated turning flight depending on the first threshold speed (V 0 ) and the second threshold speed (Vcoor) in order not to exceed a permitted rate of turn threshold of the aircraft.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising initiating the lateral movement of the aircraft in coordinated turning flight with the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) when the airspeed (V) exceeds the second threshold speed (Vcoor).
4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) is calculated based on the following formula
ψ
˙
=
c
g
tan
(
ϕ
c
)
V
cos
(
θ
c
)
,
c
=
{
0
if
V
<
V
0
V
-
V
0
V
c
o
o
r
-
V
0
else
if
V
<
V
coor
1
else
wherein θ c is a commanded pitch angle, ϕ c is the commanded roll angle, g is a specific vertical thrust force, and c is a rate of turn coefficient that is ascertained depending on the estimated airspeed V.
5. The method as claimed claim 1 , further comprising changing the calculated rate of turn through offsetting with an external input ({dot over (ψ)} c ).
6. The method as claimed claim 5 , wherein the external input ({dot over (ψ)} c ) is at least one of a manual input by a pilot ( 8 ) of a rate of turn correction or a target value for the rate of turn.
7. A controller ( 3 ) for the flight control of an aircraft ( 1 ) with a plurality of drive units ( 2 ), the controller ( 3 ) being configured to receive at least one lateral control signal in order to initiate a lateral movement of the aircraft ( 1 ), and the controller ( 3 ) being further configured to ascertain a speed (V) of the aircraft through a speed estimation based on a commanded pitch angle (θ C ) and in dependence on a drag coefficient ( c W , c w ), to calculate a calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) depending on the estimated airspeed (V) and a commanded roll angle (ϕ C ), and to automatically initiate the lateral movement with the ascertained, calculated rate of turn through the input of the lateral control signal, wherein the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (γ)}) is zero below a first threshold speed (V 0 ) for the airspeed (V), so that an exclusively translatory movement is initiated.
8. The controller as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured such that at least one of a rate of turn correction and/or a target value for the rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)} c ) is enterable through manual input in order to change the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}).
9. The controller as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the controller ( 3 ) is configured without sensors for measuring the speed.
10. A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft ( 1 ), comprising a controller as claimed in claim 7 .
11. The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft ( 1 ) of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of electrical drive units.
12. The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft ( 1 ) of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of electrical drive units are connected to a plurality of rotors.
13. The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft ( 1 ) of claim 12 , wherein the rotors are essentially arranged in one plane.