An integrated simulation and flight testing approach for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) airworthiness criteria

A Tri-Service Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Airworthiness Integrated Product Team (IPT) has been formed under the sponsorship of the Joint Aeronautical Commander's Group (JACG) to coordinate the development of UAS airworthiness criteria under each service's airworthiness authority ¹. This IPT is focused on three primary variables as the driving factors for certification requirements: Airspace required for primary operations - Special Use airspace versus full access to National/International airspace Vehicle Type - Weight based demarcation (large, medium, light, mini) Vehicle Performance - Maximum speed listed, but could be expanded to include other characteristics Selection of applicable airworthiness certification criteria, and the associated criteria standards and acceptable methods of compliance, is dependent upon the variables above. One basic premise is that aircraft systems designed primarily for use in Special Use airspace may allow for use of a different set of certification criteria, different criteria standards, and/or different methods of verifying compliance than those systems designed for operations primarily in Non-Special Use airspace. The Georgia Institute of Technology proposes to support the Tri-Service UAS Airworthiness IPT by extending the very successful integrated UAS simulation and flight testing environment they developed as the rotary wing aircraft system integrator for the DARPA Software Enabled Control (SEC) for Intelligent Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Program ². They also propose to use technologies and experience from being the lead for the Air Force Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Vision Based Control Program. A study contract was issued by NAVAIR through the National Institute for Aerospace (NIA) and a white paper ³ has been prepared to outline the overall approach which is described and presented in this paper.