Georgia Tech Supersonics · 2025-2026
Supersonic Aircraft Modeling & Flight Controls
I evaluated Cobra's natural stability with OpenVSP and AVL models, then separately designed Kestrel's outer-loop flight-control architecture.
Expanded technical stack
Overview
My Georgia Tech Supersonics work covered two separate aircraft and questions: whether Cobra had acceptable natural stability characteristics, and how Kestrel's outer-loop controller should command the broader control architecture.
My contribution
For Cobra, I developed OpenVSP and AVL geometry and aerodynamic models, using stability derivatives, trim, and linearized behavior to assess whether the configuration was naturally stable. For Kestrel, I designed cascaded PID outer loops in MATLAB and Simulink that produced virtual rate commands and interfaced with the broader nonlinear-dynamic-inversion architecture. I did not develop the internals of the nonlinear dynamic inversion implementation.
Challenge
Cobra needed a defensible natural-stability assessment from its aerodynamic derivatives, while the separate Kestrel effort needed an outer-loop control architecture that could integrate with the team's existing inner-layer design.
Technical approach
I used OpenVSP and AVL to develop Cobra geometry and aerodynamic models, examine stability derivatives, and evaluate trim and linearized static and dynamic stability behavior. Separately, I built Kestrel's MATLAB/Simulink cascaded PID outer-loop concept around virtual rate commands that fed into the broader nonlinear-dynamic-inversion interface.
Result / outcome
My OpenVSP and AVL aerodynamic models used stability derivatives, trim, and linearized behavior to establish that Cobra possessed acceptable inherent aerodynamic stability, giving the team evidence and confidence in the airframe's passive stability characteristics. That stable aerodynamic foundation informs subsequent controls and vehicle-development decisions because it provides inherent disturbance response without relying entirely on active control. For Kestrel, I developed a MATLAB/Simulink cascaded PID outer-loop architecture that generated virtual rate commands for the broader NDI flight-control architecture. Together, the Cobra stability analysis and Kestrel control development advanced the team's progression toward a controlled supersonic vehicle.
Gallery / media
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