# A full controller for a fixed-wing UAV

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a nonlinear control law for fixed-wing UAVs that integrates path-following and longitudinal control, ensuring stability and robustness using only available state information for easy implementation.

## Contribution

The proposed control law uniquely combines path-following and longitudinal control in a single, robust, and easily implementable framework tailored for commercial autopilots.

## Key findings

- Closed-loop system is globally asymptotically stable.
- Controller is robust to external disturbances.
- No additional sensors or observers are required.

## Abstract

This paper presents a nonlinear control law for the stabilization of a fixed-wing UAV. Such controller solves the path-following problem and the longitudinal control problem in a single control. Furthermore, the control design is performed considering aerodynamics and state information available in the commercial autopilots with the aim of an ease implementation. It is achieved that the closed-loop system is G.A.S. and robust to external disturbances. The difference among the available controllers in the literature is: 1) it depends on available states, hence it is not required extra sensors or observers; and 2) it is possible to achieve any desired airplane state with an ease of implementation, since its design is performed keeping in mind the capability of implementation in any commercial autopilot.