Optimization of take-off strategy for vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft

Vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft possess the capability to take off from confined areas and deploy rapidly, demonstrating broad application prospects. However, research on optimal short take-off strategies for such aircraft remains limited. Existing studies fail to comprehensively account for the constraints of short take-off strategies, exhibit insufficient strategic advantages, and lack quantitative analysis of influencing factors. To address this, this paper designs a comprehensive optimization method for solving the optimal short take-off strategy. First, a longitudinal aircraft dynamics model and a ground force model are established, accounting for actuator dynamics. Then, based on the minimum lift-off speed obtained via a trim algorithm, a fixed-value take-off strategy is derived through theoretical calculation to serve as the initial value for dynamic optimization. The optimal short take-off problem is transformed into a nonlinear programming problem, incorporating both actuator constraints and system state/performance constraints. A numerical optimization approach is employed to solve the dynamic optimization take-off strategy. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is conducted on factors affecting take-off distance—thrust-to-weight ratio, thrust split ratio, center of gravity positio, and aerodynamic coefficient, revealing that take-off distance is most sensitive to the thrust-to-weight ratio. Simulation results demonstrate that the short take-off strategy generated by the proposed method effectively reduces take-off distance and enhances the rapid deployment capability of this class of aircraft.