Backstepping-based consensus control method for gliding aircraft formation

This paper proposes a formation control method for gliding aircraft based on backstepping consensus control. The method ensures stable formation maintenance and smooth transitions in both altitude and lateral directions while meeting terminal constraints. The formation dynamics model is established using consensus control theory. The control inputs are the angle of attack and bank angle. A backstepping-based controller is designed to generate guidance commands, ensuring system stability and convergence. To improve flight safety, an artificial potential field-based collision avoidance strategy is introduced. Numerical simulations confirm the proposed method’s effectiveness. The results show that the formation control achieves high accuracy, while the collision avoidance strategy effectively prevents aircraft collisions.