FlySmart I

AutoLand Diamond DA42 successful!

As part of the FlySmart-FBW23 project (funded by the BMWI in LuFo IV/4), a certifiable fly-by-wire system for EASA CS23/Class I&II aircraft is being implemented, integrated into the Diamond DA42 test aircraft and intensively evaluated in flight tests.

In the current phase of flight testing, the project reached its preliminary climax with the first (and at the same time) successful automatic landing of the test aircraft on August 26, 2015 (see video below). On a total of three flight test days at the airfield in Wiener Neustadt, Austria (LOAN), seven automatic landings have been carried out so far (as of September 3, 2015). The focus of the remaining flights is on testing automatic take-off.

Background: FlySmart-FBW23 project

For EASA CS23/Class I&II aircraft, the fly-by-wire system enables both manual piloting with intuitive handling characteristics and highly automated flying within the entire flight envelope for the first time:

In manually piloted flight, the pilot controls the aircraft by making inputs to the stick controller and speed lever, with flight envelope protection active at all times to protect the aircraft from critical flight conditions.

In automatically piloted flight (AutoTakeoff – AutoCruise – AutoLand), the fly-by-wire system steers the aircraft along a 4D target trajectory. This is specified via waypoints, which can be defined or adapted both pre-flight and in-flight (i.e. online).

Within the FlySmart project, Aviotech is significantly involved in the realization (SW development/instantiation, HW/SW and overall system integration) and testing (HW/SW and overall system verification) of the fault-tolerant, redundant fly-by-wire system (with strict fail/operational behavior). The realization of the system is based on the AAA (“triple A”) technology of the ILS – Institute of Aircraft Systems (University of Stuttgart) and the Flight Control Laws of the iFR – Institute of Flight Mechanics and Flight Control (University of Stuttgart).

Next steps

Testing of fully automatically flown missions: The next step is to test automatic take-off (AutoTakeOff) and then fully automatically controlled missions in flight. Flight testing is scheduled for completion at the end of September.

Integration/testing of Emergency Safe Return (eSafe): As part of the eSafe project (funded by Take Off, Austria), a system is to be implemented that is capable of automatically landing the aircraft on the next suitable runway after a sudden pilot failure (emergency case), taking into account relevant mission parameters (such as available fuel, airspace, ground obstacles, etc.). For this purpose, the eSafe partners are developing an auto-routing function to determine optimal waypoints. The FlySmart fly-by-wire system in turn takes over the safety-relevant execution of these waypoint specifications (i.e. calculation of the 4D trajectory and automatic control of the aircraft along the trajectory, including autoland). Aviotech is not directly involved in the eSafe project. However, in order to enable flight testing of the auto-routing function developed within eSafe, Aviotech will integrate this function “on top” into the FlySmart fly-by-wire system.

Presse

aopa.org	Diamond debuts autoland system (2015/09/22)
Aerokurier.de	Diamond DA42 landet automatisch (2015/09/18)
All Things Aero Media	First Diamond Aircraft “eSafe” Auto Landing (2015/09/18)
Flieger Magazin	Diamond DA 42 landet automatisch (2015/09/17)
AVweb.com	What Diamond’s Autonomous Flight Trial Means (2015/09/09)
AVweb.com	Diamond’s Autonomous DA42 Completes Autolanding Tests (2015/09/08)