Aerodynamic modeling and practical attitude stabilization of a ducted fan UAV

In this paper, we address both the aerodynamic modelling of a ducted fan Vertical TakeOff and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and the problem of attitude stabilization when the vehicle is remotely controlled by a human pilot in presence of crosswind. In a first step, we present the main aerodynamic elements, inherent to the presence of the duct, that explain the dynamics of flight of this kind of vehicle. In a second step, we propose an attitude control designed from a linearization of the dynamic model around the hovering flight equilibrium. Experiments led on the HoverEye, a platform designed by Bertin Technologies, show that this attitude control is sufficient to open a large secure flight envelope.