A Stability Augmentation Testing System of Small-Size Unmanned Helicopters

The small-size remote control helicopters have been greatly limited their application for their very difficult operation, short distance of remote control. To solve this problem, the key lies in the development of practical, reliable stability augmentation system for automatic level posture balance and upgrading to beyond-visual-range controlled unmanned helicopter. A method determining stability augmentation system algorithms and controls by experiments, and applied hardware and software system realizing the above stability augmentation testing method presented. The system is composed of two parts, i.e. airborne parts and ground systems. Airborne parts include acquisition of up-down and ailerons steering engine receiver signals; acquisition of pitch, incline signals and error signals; correction signal calculation; up-down and ailerons steering engine control output signals; telemetry signal output, etc. Ground systems include wireless data transmission modules, computer hardware and application software developed with Delphi software having data receiving, calculation, numerical display and graphics display functions. Ground online tests show that the stability augmentation testing system can accurately collect pitch, incline signals and control signals from the receiver and transmit required testing data. Graphs and data display are normal. Thus the foundation has been built up for the final unmanned helicopters stability augmentation control.