Abstract: A modular avionics system for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has a control module that executes flight control and vertical and lateral guidance algorithms to generate control commands. A data link module communicates with a remote control station and receives control commands from the remote control station. A data acquisition module communicates with the control module and the data link module. The data acquisition module is configured to receive and process data from one or more onboard sensors and to actuate a plurality of servo motors in response to control commands. A switching module selectively couples the data acquisition module to the control module or to the data link module responsive to an input from the remote control station to respectively switch between a fully autonomous mode of UAV operation and a manual mode of UAV operation. Power may be provided by a power module.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for defining and rendering a trajectory of an aircraft include a processing system that causes a three dimensional trajectory depiction to be rendered on a display device. The trajectory depiction includes at least one trajectory element indicator that corresponds to at least one trajectory element of a flight plan. The processing system also receives one or more user interface commands that indicate selection by a user of a selected trajectory element indicator and user-initiated movement of the selected trajectory element indicator from a first display position to a second display position. The processing system determines one or more modified characteristics of a trajectory element corresponding to the selected trajectory element indicator in response to the user-initiated movement, and causes a modified trajectory depiction to be rendered. The modified trajectory depiction includes the selected trajectory element indicator rendered at the second display position.