Flight hardware and autopilot software validated in Skydweller UAV test
NewsApril 19, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. Skydweller Aero Inc., a U.S.-Spanish aerospace company developing solar powered aircraft for defense and commercial industries, announced the flight demonstration of the company's initial aircraft control, actuation, and sensor technology systems, after software design, installation, and ground testing.
According to officials, the company led preliminary testing of their proprietary autonomous software, while measuring and evaluating multiple open-loop system identification inputs to collect data on aircraft's static and dynamic characteristics at various altitudes, concluding with an optionally piloted take-off and landing.
Once complete, Skydweller will transition to fully autonomous flight testing. In preparation for this stage in Skydweller Aero's flight test campaign, the company claims it has designed software and hardware components to boost efficiency, integration, and connectivity.
These enhancements are intended to prove the efficacy of essential hardware required for its future, unmanned variant, along with advancements to aircraft functionality, including sensor, computing, and communications infrastructure required to achieve autonomous flight.
