Common Flight Control System (C-FCS)

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Urban / Advanced Air Mobility (UAM/AAM) are rapidly emergent dual-use technology areas that will revolutionize Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial applications in areas such as delivering goods and supplies, disaster recovery and relief efforts, search and rescue, base security, air taxi services, and operations from small or unimproved areas . To enable the Air Force to fully utilize and remain at the forefront of this technology, we propose to research, develop, test, and commercialize a Common Flight Control System (C-FCS) for these vehicles. Networked sensors, actuators, and processors provide flexibility for integration on widely varying vehicle configurations and scalability from single-string to redundant systems. Fault-tolerant control laws automatically detect and enter reversionary modes if faults are encountered and a cascaded control law architecture will support fully-autonomous, remotely-piloted, and piloted operations. Bolder Flight Systems’ commercial UAS flight control system utilizes networked sensors and actuators to rapidly integrate on widely varying vehicle configurations. During Phase I, we will expand this system to include networked processors and utilize redundant components to flexibly scale to redundant system architectures. Flight-validated fault-tolerant control laws from Pennsylvania State University will be integrated and feasibility of the system demonstrated in flight test on a UAS by safely continuing flight after a simulated component failure. Pennsylvania State University and Systems Technology Inc. will plan Phase II piloted handling qualities tasks to ensure safe operation by minimally trained pilots and Beta Technologies will evaluate the system, providing input and guidance as a leading UAM/AAM developer and potential future customer. Market surveys will be conducted with potential DoD and commercial UAS and UAM manufacturers to identify product / market fit, drive system requirements, and discover Phase II pilot program participants. By enabling reliable and safe operations for all UAS and UAM/AAM, C-FCS will enable the Air Force to remain agile and rapidly adopt new airframe, motor, and power technologies as they become available. Training and maintenance costs will be reduced, and logistics and supply chains simplified by leveraging a common system, enabling the Air Force to fully utilize these innovative technologies and maximize battlefield effectiveness.