Low-cost sensor based integrated airdata and navigation system for General Aviation aircraft

An approach for an integrated airdata and navigation system is presented, which is intended for General Aviation aircraft. By providing the pilot with information about the current angles of attack and sideslip as well as wind information in combination with precise navigation information, his situational awareness is increased. The system is based on low-cost sensor components in order to make it affordable for General Aviation aircraft. In addition to the system components, which are Commercial-off-the-Shelf products, sophisticated computation algorithms are used to assure a high quality and integrity of the system output data. In order to keep the amount of modification needed to integrate the system into an existing General Aviation aircraft at minimum level, no external flow sensors have to be installed, as the angles of attack and sideslip are derived from inertial measurements in combination with aerodynamic model data. The system presented has been implemented in a research testbed and is currently subject to a comprehensive flight test program. Results from these flight tests and the theoretical background of this system are presented in this paper.