VTOL data-driven modeling and control allocation

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Vertical takeoff and landing aircraft operate across flight regimes where aerodynamics, rotor-wing interaction, and actuator authority change substantially.

Approach

Combine physics-based models with flight-test data.
Identify aerodynamic effects at high angles of attack.
Model rotor-wing-airframe interaction and thruster vectoring.
Use the hybrid model in a control-allocation framework across takeoff, transition, cruise, and landing.

The aim is a model that is both physically interpretable and accurate enough for robust flight control.

System Identification | MAAL

VTOL data-driven modeling and control allocation

Approach