Trajectory tracking for automated aerial refueling based on adaptive dynamic inversion

Receiver aircraft trajectory tracking control is studied during the automated aerial refueling (AAR). The method of the outer guidance loop and inner control loop was adopted. The method was proposed to combine the nonlinear path-following guidance and adaptive neural networks, and was used in receiver aircraft trajectory tracking. The improved nonlinear guidance law was used to guide the receiver aircraft in longitude and latitude. The disturbance and model error were compensated in the angular rates loop. The angular rate error equations with proportional-integral desired dynamics were used to design the update law for the adaptive neural networks. Results show, during the receiver aircraft approaching to the tanker, by using this method, the receiver aircraft ability of restraining disturbance and accommodating model error can be improved effectively, and the control requirement in automated aerial refueling can be met.