Simultaneous and stochastic design of piston-prop TUAV vertical tail and its autonomous system

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to advance autonomous flight performance of a piston-prop tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (TUAV) by simultaneously and stochastically redesigning its vertical tail and autonomous flight control system (AFCS).Design/methodology/approachA TUAV is produced in the Erciyes University Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Laboratory. Its vertical tail can be changed before flight. AFCS parameters and vertical tail parameters are simultaneously and stochastically redesigned for maximizing autonomous flight performance index using a stochastic optimization strategy. Obtained results are benefitted during simulation of autonomous flight.FindingsApplying simultaneous and stochastic design procedure for a piston-prop TUAV owing varying vertical tail and AFCS, autonomous flight performance is maximized.Research limitations/implicationsPermission of Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Republic of Turkey is crucial for flight tests of unmanned air vehicles.Originality/valueCreating a novel solution for recovering autonomous flight performance of a piston-prop TUAV and also creating a novel algorithm for application of simultaneous and stochastic TUAV's vertical tail and its AFCS design.