Patent ID: 8473125

Claim:
A method of piloting a rotary wing drone ( 10 ), the method comprising the following steps: a) a remote control appliance ( 16 ) producing a turning command to follow a curvilinear path; b) the drone both i) receiving said command and ii) acquiring instantaneous measurements of the linear velocity components, of the angles of inclination, and of the angular velocities of the drone; and c) on the basis of the received command and of the measurements acquired in step b), generating setpoint values for a drone control loop ( 64 - 80 ), these setpoint values controlling the horizontal linear speed and the inclination of the drone relative to a frame of reference associated with the ground so as to make the drone follow said curvilinear path (C) with a predetermined tangential speed (u), wherein: the drone is a drone of the quadricopter type having multiple rotors driven by respective motors ( 72 ); the control loop ( 64 - 80 ) controls the horizontal linear speed and the inclination of the drone by taking different actions on the speeds of rotation of said motors ( 72 ); and said command is a rate of turn command comprising a right or left turn direction parameter and a parameter defining a setpoint for the instantaneous radius of curvature of the turn.