Longitudinal linear parameter varying modeling and simulation of morphing aircraft

The purpose of this paper is to present linear parameter varying modeling and simulation of a folding-wing morphing aircraft in the wing-folding process. Morphing aircraft can alter the shape to adapt to mission environment changing. When the wing shape is varying, the dynamic responses of the morphing aircraft will be dependent on the time-varying aerodynamic forces and moments, which will be a function of the wing shape change by the morphing command. The folding-wing morphing aircraft is regarded as a variable geometry rigid body, and the six-degree-offreedom nonlinear dynamic model in the wing-folding process is founded. The decoupled longitudinal dynamic equation of the morphing process is deduced by simplification, and the longitudinal dynamic responses of the wing morphing process are numerically simulated by the quasi-steady aerodynamic assumption. Furthermore, using the Jacobian linearization approach, the longitudinal nonlinear dynamics equations of morphing aircraft are linearized, and the longitudinal linear parameter varying model of the morphing aircraft in the wing-folding process is obtained. Finally, the linear parameter varying model is validated by the open-loop time responses compared to the nonlinear aircraft responses. The research results can be as great reference for the linear parameter varying controller design for the morphing aircraft in the wing shape varying.