Unmanned Operation of Fly-by-wire Testbed Aircraft

Optionally piloted tactical testbed aircraft could enable high risk weapons flight tests. Fly-by-wire aircraft like the F-16, F/A-18, and F-117 offer the best retrofit conversion candidates. A FlexRay based vehicle management system will provide a low cost, frame synchronous, redundant, and highly reliable interface to the existing digital flight control system. An intelligent, learning flight control law module will allow greater flexibility, adaptability and reliability than traditional classic control schemes. The SharkFin ground control station (GCS) will provide a next generation user interface that is uniquely tailored to optionally-piloted vehicle operations. SharkFin is the state-of-the-art: this real-time, many-on-many, intuitive, STANAG 4586 compliant UAV control system will be modified for OPV operation, enabling operators with minimal training to take full advantage of the aircraft’s autonomous capabilities.