Avionics System development for a Rotary Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
By: Daniel S. Greer
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Number of pages: 111
Description: The Naval Postgraduate School has developed a successful Rapid Flight Test Prototyping System (RFTPS) for      the development of software for remote computer control of fixed wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).      This thesis reviews the work accomplished to mount sensors on a small remote controlled helicopter with      instrumentation compatible with the RFTPS: an inertial measurement unit, a Global Positioning System (GPS)      receiver, an altitude sensor and associated power supply and telemetry equipment. A helicopter with sufficient      lift capability was selected and a lightweight aluminum structure was built to serve as both an avionics platform      for the necessary equipment and also as a landing skid. Since the altitude sensors used for fixed wing UAV's,      such as barometric sensors and GPS, do not provide sufficient accuracy for low altitude hover control, a      lightweight, precision altimeter was developed using ultrasound technology. Circuitry was developed to drive a      Polaroid 6500 Series Ranging Module and process the output data in a form compatible with the RFTPS      avionics architecture. Flight testing revealed severe vibrations throughout the helicopter. An alternative avionics      package of reduced size was constructed to house the sonic altimeter and a three-axis accelerometer.      Subsequent test flight results and recommendations for further research are provided.
Notes: "June 1998."

Thesis advisor(s): Russ W. Duren.

Thesis (M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering) Naval Postgraduate School, June 1998.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 79)

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

Also available online.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader.

US Navy (USN) author.

dk/dk cc:9116 9/18/98.