Safe landings through FASTWING
The concept of a large parafoil for air deliveries was selected for the FASTWING approach. Parafoils are collapsible airfoils which can be dropped from an aircraft and then glide to remote, inaccessible locations, delivering useful payloads. The use of parafoils for airdrop missions unveiled the need for efficient textile wing structures and lightweight construction. To this end, the implementation of a lightweight guidance platform to ensure autonomous flight control is essential. In this direction FASTWING partners adapted existing Parafoil Guidance, Navigation and Control (PGNC) software for the needs of the unmanned, autonomous flight control. PGNC software is implemented in the avionics systems in order to enable the system to find its predefined landing point. This is achieved through extensive analysis of a set of data such as turbulence and wind parameters, leading to precision final-descent manoeuvres. The application service between the hardware, such as onboard computers and sensors, and the PGNC software is ensured with the use of the Basic Software (BSW) of the avionics system, through a particular interface. Tests performed in both Windows and Avionic System environment verified the numerical stability and robustness of the control algorithm, certifying its flight readiness. The ground operator has the ability to see real time data through a ground station console whereas a mission planning tool allows quick mission adaptation to changing meteorological conditions. Post flight analysis of the performance of the onboard software gave a better insight of the guidance and control function allowing its improvement. Its flawless performance combined with its high flexibility with respect to configuration changes renders it an important tool for precise and secure autonomous delivery of personnel and cargo. Furthermore, having the ability to actively avoid obstacles and hazardous areas, it may be used for rescue missions when bail out of the crew is required.
