Development of Control Contraction Metric based methods on non-conventional aircraft configuration

Control Contraction Metrics(CCMs) can be described as a non-linear control technique based in differential dynamics on the framework of differential geometry. This work presents preliminary results on applying CCMs to the control of a Blended Wing Body(BWB) aircraft configuration, in particular, regarding flight conditions involving high angle of attack and medium Reynolds number regimes. These preliminary results show that in absence of conventional stability equilibrium points, proper CCMs may allow effective control on aircraft dynamics given adequate operational conditions. These conditions and configuration are expected to be present in new concepts of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), extending their applications from planetary exploration to support the development of new transportation concepts in commercial airliners. Methods described, data, and results, are expected to be of applicationfor EXperimental Aircraft for European Leadership in Aviation (EXAELIA) project, a HorizonEurope international effort to de-risk and develop new concepts of passenger aircraft to face aerospace industry challenges by 2050. This work has been funded by the European Union under GA No.101191922. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them