• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.467-475
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• 2011

Aerial spraying technology using a small unmanned helicopter is an efficient and practical tool to achieve stable agricultural production to improve the working condition. An attitude controller for the agricultural helicopter would be helpful to aerial application operator. In order to construct the flight controller, a state space model of the helicopter should be identified using a dynamic analysis program, such as CIFER$^{(R)}$. To obtain the state space a model of the helicopter, frequency-sweep flight tests were performed and time history data were acquired using a custom-built stick position transmitter. Four elements of stick commands were accessed for the collective pitch (heave), aileron (roll), elevator (pitch), rudder (yaw) maneuvers. The test results showed that rudder stick position signal was highly linear with rudder input channel signal of the receiver; however, collective pitch stick position signal was exponentially manipulated for the convenience of control stick handling. The acquired stick position and flight dynamic data during sweep tests would be analyzed in the followed study.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.192-200
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• 2012

Purpose: Aerial application of chemicals with an agricultural helicopter allows for precise and timely spraying and reduces working labor and pollution. An attitude controller for an agricultural helicopter would be helpful to aerial application operator. The objectives of this paper are to determine the transfer function models and to estimate the handling qualities of a bare-airframe model helicopter. Methods: Transfer functions of a model unmanned helicopter were estimated by using NAVFIT and DERIVID modules of the $CIFER^{(R)}$ program to the time history data of frequency sweep flight tests. Control inputs of the transfer functions were elevator, aileron, rudder and collective pitch stick positions and the outputs were resulting on-axis movements of the fuselage. Results: Minimum realization of the transfer functions for pitch rate output to elevator control input and roll rate output to aileron control input produced second order transfer functions with undamped natural frequencies around 3.0 Hz and damping ratios of 0.139 and 0.530, respectively. The equivalent time delays of the transfer functions ranged from 0.16 to 0.44 second. Sensitivity analysis of the proposed parameters allowed derivation of minimal realization of the transfer functions. Conclusions: Handling quality of the model helicopter was addressed based on the eigenvalues of the transfer functions, corresponding undamped natural frequencies with damping ratios. The equivalent time delays of the lateral-directional motion ranged from 0.16 to 0.44 second, longer than the 0.1 to 0.15 second requirement for well-controlled typical manned aerial vehicles.