VTOL Transition

Problem Statement

VTOL transition combines multirotor-style hover control with fixed-wing forward-flight aerodynamics. The key challenge is managing control authority handoff across flight regimes.

Model and Formulation

Blend hover and forward-flight controllers with scheduling variable \sigma \in [0,1]:

$$ u = (1-\sigma)u_{hover} + \sigma u_{wing} $$

with \sigma scheduled by airspeed, pitch, and altitude envelopes.

Practical Notes

• Transition corridors need explicit safety constraints.
• Inadequate gain scheduling causes pitch excursions and altitude loss.
• Propulsion and control-surface limits must be jointly managed.

Evidence

References

• Lustosa et al., Dynamic Transition for VTOL UAVs
• Sun et al., Review of Tilt-Rotor and VTOL Transition Control

Related Algorithms

• Fixed-Wing Flight
• PID Hover