Stabilization of a Fixed-Wing Aircraft with a Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion-Based PI Controller

The effectiveness and stability of flight control systems for aircraft under challenging operational conditions are of critical importance. This paper presents a nonlinear dynamic inversion (NDI)-based controller design for a six degrees of freedom nonlinear fixed-wing aircraft model. The model considered is a Boeing 747-200, a wide-body, long-range jet passenger aircraft. The NDI controller is utilized for controlling the aircraft's attitude and dynamic behavior. To enhance the stability and performance of the aircraft system, a Proportional-Integral (PI) controller is integrated into the NDI controller structure. To simulate real flight conditions, the system actuators are considered to operate under noise, and an additional PI- structured filter is designed for the NDI structure to minimize the adverse effects of this noise. Simulation results show that the proposed NDI and PI-structured control system maintains system stability and performance despite external noise disturbances.