| Issue |
MATEC Web Conf.
Volume 417, 2025
2025 RAPDASA-RobMech-PRASA-AMI Conference: Bridging the Gap between Industry & Academia - The 26th Annual International RAPDASA Conference, joined by RobMech, PRASA and AMI, co-hosted by CSIR and Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria
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| Article Number | 04018 | |
| Number of page(s) | 17 | |
| Section | Robotics and Mechatronics | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202541704018 | |
| Published online | 25 November 2025 | |
Development and integration of an autopilot system for a full-sized aircraft using open-source UAV technology
1 Nelson Mandela University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gqeberha, South Africa
2 Nelson Mandela University, Department of Mechatronic Engineering, Gqeberha, South Africa
* Corresponding author: kabelo.mpurwana@mandela.ac.za
This study presents the integration and validation of an open-source autopilot system for a full-sized motor glider, demonstrating its suitability for autonomous operations. The Whisper motor glider was retrofitted with a Cube Orange flight controller running ArduPlane, and control force measurements were used to size actuators and inform system tuning. A structured approach, which combined control force characterization, SITL simulation, and progressive flight testing, was used to configure and refine the system. Autonomous missions were successfully executed, with an average flight path tracking error of 1.75 m between waypoints and an altitude error of 28.7 m. The results confirm the feasibility of adapting manned aircraft for autonomous flight using low-cost, open-source tools, offering a practical foundation for high-endurance UAV applications.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2025
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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