Hybrid aircraft combine the hovering capability of rotorcraft with the higher performance
of fixed-wing aircraft. A tiltwing hybrid aircraft achieves this by tilting its wings and
wing-mounted rotors between an upward position for hover and a forward position for
forward flight. Such aircraft offer advantages for environmental monitoring applications
as they can operate from rough terrain or marine vessels and have higher endurance than
rotorcraft of the same size.
As part of this research, it is proposed to carry out the following tasks. Hybrid
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configurations will be explored for applications
concerning environmental monitoring. A design methodology and sizing algorithms
will be developed for such hybrid configurations. A tiltwing UAV suited for a chosen
environmental monitoring application will be designed, manufactured, and tested in
flight. Mathematical models will be developed for the dynamics involved in the
transition flight of the tiltwing. A novel model-based controller for flight mode transition
will be designed, implemented, and tested using these models. The mission capabilities
and operational advantages of the tiltrotor UAV will be demonstrated for environmental
monitoring applications.