For Unmanned Aircraft to be routinely used in
civil airspace, an effective collision avoidance
function is one area deemed essential for safe
operation. Like manned aircraft, avoiding collisions
with transponder-equipped, or "cooperative" traffic
is among the primary hazards.
This paper discusses similarities and
differences in the collision avoidance function and
the necessity of developing various models of
environmental and system components in the
collision avoidance functional chain. Potential
sensitivities and shortcomings of the TCAS
collision avoidance system for unmanned aircraft
are discussed.
The analysis method of fast-time simulation
can develop a rich sample of collision encounter
events from the numerous statistical distributions.
This provides an established means to demonstrate
system compliance with safety targets, when they
are established.
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