Abstract
This paper presents the design, manufacturing, and flight testing of an electric-powered experimental flying wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The design process starts with defining the performance requirements including the stall speed, maximal speed, cruise altitude, absolute ceiling, and turn radius and speed. The wing loading and associated power loading are obtained based on the defined performance requirements. The wing area, UAV mass, and power requirements are determined from the endurance and payload requirements. The power requirement determines the motor size. Aerodynamics and stability designs are obtained based on the selected airfoil and obtained wing area. After completing the design, the UAV is manufactured using composite materials. The UAV is equipped with an AXi 4130/20 kv305 brushless motor and a Pixhawk flight control board. Its total weight is 8.6 kg. Flight tests were conducted to evaluate the UAV’s performance and dynamic characteristics and to demonstrate the success of the design.
Highlights
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has attracted much attention in the aviation industry for decades, especially in the United States
We report on the design, manufacturing, and flight testing of an electrically powered experimental flying wing UAV
The matching plot is a method for preliminary aircraft design that converts aircraft performance requirements into a wing loading (W/S) and thrust-to-weight ratio (T/W) or power loading (W/P)
Summary
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has attracted much attention in the aviation industry for decades, especially in the United States. Flight test methods were developed for a small, electric-powered flying wing UAV [10]. Another study presented an aerodynamic performance design of a solar-powered aircraft and its solar power management system design [13] This design and system were verified through successful ground and flight tests, making this Taiwan’s first solar-powered UAV. We report on the design, manufacturing, and flight testing of an electrically powered experimental flying wing UAV. The matching plot is a method for preliminary aircraft design that converts aircraft performance requirements into a wing loading (W/S) and thrust-to-weight ratio (T/W) or power loading (W/P). Appropriate values are obtained from the intersection of the wing loading and thrust-to-weight ratio or power loading that can satisfy all performance requirements in the matching plot. We discuss the effect of the UAV’s increased weight on its performance requirements
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