Flush Airdata System on a Flying Wing Based on Machine Learning Algorithms

By using an array of pressure sensors distributed on the surface of an aircraft to measure the pressure of each port, the flush airdata sensing (FADS) system is widely applied in many modern aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Normally, the pressure transducers of the FADS system should be mounted on the leading edge of the aircraft, where they are sensitive to changes in pressure. For UAVs, however, the leading edge of the nose and wing may not be available for pressure transducers. In addition, the number of transducers is limited to 8–10, making it difficult to maintain accuracy in the normal method for FADS systems. An FADS system model for an unmanned flying wing was developed, and the pressure transducers were all located outside the regions of the leading edge areas. The locations of the transducers were selected by using the mean impact value (MIV), and ensemble neural networks were developed to predict the airdata with a very limited number of transducers. Furthermore, an error detection method was also developed based on artificial neural networks and random forests. The FADS system model can accurately detect the malfunctioning port and use the correct pressure combination to predict the Mach number, angle of attack, and angle of sideslip with high accuracy.