VTOL · QuadPlane · ArduPlane
VTOL and QuadPlane aircraft simulator with ArduPilot
Take off vertically, transition to fixed-wing flight, fly the mission and land vertically again, with ArduPlane's Q modes and the same transition and failsafe logic. Five VTOL aircraft in the browser and, with AIRLAB Connector, the real ArduPlane with your .param.
What a VTOL UAV is
A VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft takes off and lands vertically like a multirotor and flies horizontally, held up by its wing, like an aeroplane. That way it combines the best of both: it needs no runway and, in forward flight, covers far more distance on the same battery.
Tilt-rotor
The front motors tilt: they point upwards in vertical flight and forwards in forward flight. In ArduPlane it is configured with Q_TILT_ENABLE.
4+1 QuadPlane
Four lift motors for vertical flight and one forward motor to fly like an aeroplane. It is ArduPlane's classic QuadPlane (Q_ENABLE).
Tailsitter
It takes off sitting on its tail and tilts its whole body to switch to fixed-wing flight. In ArduPlane, Q_TAILSIT_ENABLE.
In ArduPilot, all these VTOLs are flown with the plane firmware, ArduPlane, in its QuadPlane mode. Source: official ArduPilot documentation (ardupilot.org/plane).
The simulator's five VTOL aircraft
Each one with its aerodynamics calculated from its geometry and ArduPilot's default parameters. See all 19 aircraft.
VTOL tilt-rotor
Three motors, two of them tilting, with vectored yaw: with the rudder, ArduPilot tilts the front motors. Compatible with real ArduPilot (SITL).
4+1 QuadPlane
Four lift motors and one forward motor.
4+1 VTOL flying wing
Flying wing with four lift motors and a pusher.
4+1 VTOL V-tail
V-tail with four lift motors and a pusher.
Flying-wing tailsitter
Twin-motor aircraft that takes off sitting on its tail.
Take-offs, transitions and landings
The tricky phase of a VTOL is the switch from vertical to fixed-wing flight and back. In the simulator you see and hear how ArduPlane does it.
- Vertical take-off in QHOVER or QLOITER, or automatic with VTOL_TAKEOFF in AUTO
- Transition: the lift motors hold the aircraft up until it reaches minimum airspeed (AIRSPEED_MIN, formerly ARSPD_FBW_MIN) and wind down over Q_TRANSITION_MS
- VTOL assistance (Q_ASSIST_SPEED): the motors help again if airspeed drops below the threshold
- Return to vertical in QRTL with its braking, or with QLAND until it disarms
- The black box explains why VTOL assistance kicked in and when the transition was completed
ArduPlane and QuadPlane flight modes
The simulator includes 14 ArduPlane modes: the five Q modes for vertical flight and the fixed-wing ones.
QSTABILIZE
Vertical flight with self-levelling; the throttle directly controls the power of the lift motors.
QHOVER
Vertical flight with altitude hold.
QLOITER
Vertical flight with altitude hold and GPS position hold.
QLAND
Automatic vertical landing until touchdown and disarm.
QRTL
Return to home and vertical landing.
FBWA and FBWB
Assisted fixed-wing flight: limits roll and pitch; FBWB also holds altitude.
CRUISE
Fixed-wing flight with heading and altitude held.
MANUAL and ACRO
Fixed-wing flight without stabilisation or with angular rate control.
LOITER, CIRCLE and RTL
Circular loiters and return to home in fixed-wing flight.
AUTO
The mission: VTOL_TAKEOFF, WAYPOINT, loiters and VTOL_LAND.
Parameter configuration
The simulator works with ArduPilot parameters: each aircraft's defaults or those of your own aircraft.
- Import the .param from Mission Planner or QGroundControl, test it and export the simulator's parameters
- The simulator reads your outputs, your arming channel and your switch modes
- With real ArduPilot (SITL), your .param flies as it is: board-specific settings are removed automatically and the flight settings are yours
- Optional QGroundControl over TCP 5760 for parameters and missions
More detail in ArduPilot SITL in AIRLAB FPV.
VTOL emergencies and failsafes
The situations that are hardest on a real VTOL, so you can practise them beforehand.
Motor failure
Stop a lift motor or the forward motor, in vertical flight or during transition, and learn to recover or land.
Jammed tilt servo
A tilting motor stuck halfway: what ArduPilot does and what you do.
Radio loss
The ArduPlane failsafe chain when the link drops, with LQ and RSSI falling with distance.
Battery
BATT_LOW and BATT_CRT with return to home or vertical landing, and a LiPo that loses voltage with cold and load.
Airspeed sensor
False readings or pitot failure, the classic cause of a transition that never completes.
Wind and gusts
Vertical landings in a crosswind and gust fronts that change during the flight.
Training before real flights
- Learn the mode sequence and the switch before taking them to the aircraft
- Rehearse the transition with your .param and see what ArduPilot does in each phase
- Plan the mission in AUTO and export the .waypoints to Mission Planner or QGroundControl
- Practise emergencies until your reaction is automatic
Simulated is not real
The simulator's physics are calculated from each aircraft's geometry, but your VTOL has its own weight, centre of gravity, motors and settings. Simulated procedures do not replace real testing in phases (vertical flight, transition, forward flight) with your aircraft and its configuration.
Work missions, photogrammetry, the operations centre, the remote instructor and certificates are part of the Pro licence; the free trial includes everything in Pro except certificates.
Frequently asked questions about the VTOL simulator
Can you practise VTOL flights?
Yes. There are five VTOL aircraft: a three-motor tilt-rotor, a 4+1 QuadPlane, a 4+1 VTOL flying wing, a 4+1 V-tail and a twin-motor tailsitter, with vertical take-off, transition, fixed-wing flight and return to vertical.
Does it use the real ArduPilot firmware?
By default, the simulator reproduces ArduPlane's behaviour in the browser, following its official documentation. With AIRLAB Connector on a Mac, it flies the real ArduPlane compiled for the computer (SITL): ArduPilot decides the modes, PIDs, transition and failsafes, and the simulator provides the physics and the scenery.
Can I load my aircraft's .param?
Yes. You import the .param from Mission Planner or QGroundControl: the simulator reads your outputs, your arming channel and your modes. With SITL, your .param flies as it is; board-specific settings (orientation, calibrations, ports) are removed automatically.
Which VTOL aircraft work with SITL?
With real ArduPilot (SITL) you have the VTOL tilt-rotor (tricopter QuadPlane) and the twin-engine fixed wing, each with its own test .param. The other aircraft fly with the browser's ArduPilot simulation.
Which VTOL emergencies can you practise?
A motor stopping, a jammed tilt servo, airspeed sensor failure, radio loss with the ArduPlane failsafe chain, low or critical battery with QRTL or QLAND, and transitions in wind or at low altitude.
Does it replace testing my VTOL in the field?
No. It helps you understand the modes, rehearse the transition and practise emergencies before flying, but every real aircraft must be tested with its own configuration, in phases and with the appropriate safety measures.
Already have your .param? Check it for free with the ArduPilot .param analyzer: errors, failsafes, outputs and tilt checked against the official documentation, plus a report from Captain Pitot.
Analyse my .param
