Is changing the home point enough to RTL_AUTOLAND on a new location?

Hello,
I am dropping a small plane from a bigger airplane autonomously, and am trying to make it land at a new gps point. I have a python script that automatically updates the home point, but am trying to use RTL_AUTOLAND to do an automated landing, but I am not sure if it will work. If I have no mission loaded in the flight controller and if RTL_AUTOLAND is set to 1 or 2, will the plane perform an autoland or will it simply do a normal RTL circling the home point?

Thank you

Test it in SITL. That is a usecase for the SITL.

2 Likes

RTL_AUTOLAND needs to have a mission with a DO_LAND_START command. You might be able to write a script that will set the waypoint for landing if that needs to be dynamic.

The mission would only need two commands.
1- DO_LAND_START
2- LAND (with the location information)

IIRC you also need approach waypoint and preferably one before that in a straight line far enough for the plane to converge on the track (or a loiter with tangent exit)

I just tried it in the SITL with just the two commands. It “works”, in so much as the plane turns towards the landing command tried to land at the targeted point. But without the leading way points as you suggest it’s unlikely to do what you want. Especially if the it’s too close to the landing point already.