A Near-Optimal Analytic Solution to the Optimal Lead Turn Problem
Shawn S. Stephens, David W. Casbeer, Donald L. Kunz, William P. Baker, Joshuah A. Hess · AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum · 2021
View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-0371.vid This research addresses path following error which may develop when an aircraft transitions between following straight and circular path segments. The optimal lead turn problem is introduced which seeks to determine the optimal control and initial position which minimizes the path error during the transition between two path segments with constraints on terminal position and maneuver performance. We derive a sub-optimal analytic solution which assumes the aircraft maneuvers to achieve the terminal bank angle constraints in minimum time. We then show that the analytic solution is near-optimal by comparing it to numerically derived optimal solutions.