2026/02/28 by Antonio Franchi, Chiara Gabellieri
Computer Science · Engineering · #cs.RO #cs.SY #eess.SY
paper · pdf · doi:10.1109/icuas69441.2026.11598700
published as 2026 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, ICUAS 2026 · ACCEPTED ICUAS 2026
arxiv created 2026/04/29 · openalex publication_date 2026/06/15 · openalex created_date 2026/07/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15 · arxiv updated 2026/07/30
We present a robotics-oriented, coordinate-free formulation of inverse flight dynamics for fixed-wing aircraft on SO(3). Translational force balance is written in the world frame and rotational dynamics in the body frame; aerodynamic directions (drag, lift, side) are defined geometrically, avoiding local attitude coordinates. Enforcing coordinated flight (no sideslip), we derive a closed-form trajectory-to-input map yielding the attitude, angular velocity, and thrust-angle-of-attack pair, and we recover the aerodynamic moment coefficients component-wise. Applying such a map to tethered flight on spherical parallels, we obtain analytic expressions for the required bank angle and identify a specific zero-bank locus where the tether tension exactly balances centrifugal effects, highlighting the decoupling between aerodynamic coordination and the apparent gravity vector. Under a simple lift/drag law, the minimal-thrust angle of attack admits a closed form. These pointwise quasi-steady inversion solutions become steady-flight trim when the trajectory and rotational dynamics are time-invariant. The framework bridges inverse simulation in aeronautics with geometric modeling in robotics, providing a rigorous building block for trajectory design and feasibility checks.