Aerodynamic design of a MALE UAV

Abstract

In the present study the aerodynamic design procedure of a Medium-Altitude-Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicle (UAV) is presented. The procedure is broken down into the conceptual and preliminary design phases. For the conceptual design, four groups worked with a common roadmap and developed four presizing tools and four different configurations, based on the same mission requirements. Following an evaluation procedure and merging process, a single design concept was eventually developed, which served as the basis for the preliminary design phase. Considering the preliminary design phase, emphasis was given on the aerodynamic aspects of the study. Namely, the fuselage design, wing design, stability and control study, empennage design, and the winglet design optimization technique, as well as the inlets sizing and cooling study, are all included in this work. The analytical calculations and methods are presented at each step of the study, whereas the CFD supportive computations are also shown in detail. The UAV final concept, at the end of the aerodynamic study, together with the main geometric, aerodynamic, stability and performance parameters, is presented and discussed.