Flow angle reconstruction algorithm for MAGIC CARPET landing with sensor failure

The MAGIC CARPET carrier landing control system relies on stable and accurate flow angle signals. However, flow angle sensors operate in harsh environments, resulting in low accuracy and susceptibility to damage of the sensors. In such cases, other sensor signals can be used to reconstruct the required flow angle signal. However, existing flow angle reconstruction algorithms can only construct the inertial flow angle, and most algorithms overlook drift errors of inertial sensors. During the Magic Carpet carrier landing process, the carrier-based aircraft operates at low speeds and high angles of attack; disturbances from the ship’s wake flow can cause significant deviations between the estimated inertial angle of attack and the true flow angle, hindering the control system’s stability and trajectory correction. To address this issue, an algorithm for reconstructing Magic Carpet carrier landing flow angle is proposed for use in the event of sensor failure. This algorithm estimates the ship’s wake flow, the angle of attack, and the sideslip angle without the need for a flow angle sensor, while also considering the drift errors of inertial sensors. The algorithm is integrated into the Magic Carpet carrier landing control system loop, and the reconstructed flow angle signal is used in the landing control law calculation for digital and hardware-in-the-loop simulation verification. The results demonstrate that the algorithm can estimate the ship’s wake flow and inertial sensor drift errors, producing a reconstructed flow angle signal that accurately reflects the true information of flow angle. The signal is smooth and stable, without diverging over time, and can be used in the Magic Carpet carrier landing control law calculation to maintain a stable flow angle, enabling rapid and precise trajectory correction for the carrier-based aircraft.