Taxiing of manned and remotely piloted aircraft is still performed by pilots without using a system of automatic control of direction and speed. Several reasons have emerged in recent years that make the automation of taxiing an important design challenge. The reasons are: decreased airport capacity due to the growing number of aircraft, poor ground operation conditions during poor visibility conditions, an increase in workload of pilots and air traffic controllers and the integration of simultaneous ground operations of manned and remotely piloted air vehicles. This paper presents selected aspects of the concept of a Low Level Automatic Taxi Control System. In particular, it emphasizes the means of controlling an aircraft during taxiing, accuracy requirements of the system and proposes control techniques. The resulting controller of the system is adaptable for different aircrafts. The actuators and their mechanical connections to available controls are the aircraft specific part and are designed for the particular type – in this case – a general aviation light airplane.

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Purpose A standard automatic flight control system – autopilot – will become required equipment of the future aircraft, operating in the common sky. For a specific group of aircraft, they are too expensive and too energy-consuming solutions. This paper aims to present the concept of an automatic flight control system that overcomes those limitations. Design/methodology/approach The proposed automatic flight control system uses the trim tabs in all prime flight controlling surfaces: elevator, ailerons and rudder, for stabilizing and controlling the steady flights of an aircraft. Findings The results of an aeroplane flight controlled with the use of trim tabs simulation tests and remarks have been presented and discussed. The simulation was conducted in real-time hardware in the loop environment. The stabilization of the flight was achieved in performed test scenarios. Originality/value The possibility to control an aircraft with coordinated deflections of the trimming surfaces is a beneficial alternate to those currently used and can be recommended for use in the next-generation aircraft.