Visual simulation system design of soft-wing UAV based on FlightGear

Soft-wing UAV is composed of soft ram air parafoil hanging powered vehicle with ropes. Benefit from its special mechanical structure and flight characteristics, soft-wing UAV has some advantages over other kinds of aircraft. However, because of these special characteristics make it possess apparent mass, flexible structure and relative motions between the parafoil and payload vehicle, which are the difficulties in research. Visual simulation based on mathematical model can vividly reappear the relationship between input and output of UAV and realize 3D visually simulation of the aircraft flight status. In this paper, based on the practical physical parameters of the self-designed soft-wing UAV, a 6 DOF mathematical model was built. Then a visual simulation system of soft-wing UAV based on FlightGear was designed. Finally, by using the simulation data from the soft-wing UAV mathematical model, the visual simulation was successfully realized. This visual simulation also testified the validation of this visual simulation system and mathematical model.