Flatness-based aircraft trajectory optimization and tracking using pseudospectral method

In this paper, we use a flatness-based approach for computing constrained trajectories while optimizing an objective function for a six degree of freedom aircraft. The resulting optimal control problem in flat output space is numerically solved using Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto pseudospectral method. A real-time linear optimal controller based on flatness is designed and successfully applied to time-varying trajectory tracking.