Generic TECS Based Autopilot for an Electric High Altitude Solar Powered Aircraft

High altitude long endurance UAVs draw increasing attention in recent years. Combined with solar electrical power, they can be expected, for example, to complement the role of stationary satellites as inexpensive alternatives. This paper discusses the approach used in designing a full featured TECS (Total Energy Control System) based generic autopilot for conducting long-endurance autonomous missions with the ELHASPA (ELectric High Altitude Solar Powered Aircraft) platform and the progress made to date.