Transition performance and transition strategy of a distributed-propulsion–wing VTOL UAV with induced wing configuration

The distributed propulsion–wing with induced wing configuration (DPW-IW) vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enhances maneuverability through distributed propulsion and achieves vertical takeoff and landing via distributed propulsion slipstreams, offering significant application potential. However, this type of vehicle experiences significant attitude changes and requires thrust vectoring to achieve flight mode transitions, leading to a high-dimensional transition corridor that complicates transition strategy design. This paper proposes a transition strategy design framework based on transition performance and high-dimensional transition corridors. A dynamic model of the aircraft is developed and calibrated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results and experimental data. Transition corridors under varying acceleration constraints are calculated and integrated into a high-dimensional transition corridor, accompanied by a detailed analysis of transition performance. To reduce the computational dimensions and complexity in the design of the transition strategy, both a rapid design method and an optimization-based approach are proposed, with safety and transition time as key performance criteria. The proposed strategies are validated through numerical simulations, demonstrating their effectiveness in enabling robust and smooth transitions.