On the Self-Calibration of Aerodynamic Coefficients in Vehicle Dynamic Model-Based Navigation

The performance of vehicle dynamic model (VDM)-based navigation largely depends on the accurate determination of aerodynamic coefficients that are unknown a priori. Among different techniques, such as model simulations or experimental analysis in a wind tunnel, the method of self-calibration via state-space augmentation benefiting Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning represents an interesting and economical alternative. We study this technique under simulation with the goal of determining the impact of aircraft maneuvers on the precision and (de)-correlation of the aerodynamic coefficients among themselves and with respect to other error-states. A combination of different maneuvers indicates to be essential for obtaining satisfactory aerodynamic coefficients estimation and reduce their uncertainty.