Low-cost development of a fully composite fixed-wing hybrid VTOL UAV

Abstract

Fixed-wing hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are popular due to their interoperability in the military and civilian domains, primarily where significant terrain difficulties exist for humans. Additionally, they can operate without requiring any runway infrastructure and have extended air endurance and efficiency. Since the hybrid UAV operates in distinct flight modes, viz., (a) VTOL and (b) fixed-wing cruise, carrying different payloads, the airframe structure requires careful design and manufacturing to realize sufficient strength. This experimental study aimed to identify the best combinations of various composite materials for manufacturing a lightweight, low-altitude long endurance (LALE) hybrid VTOL UAV. Primary materials include carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), resins, etc. Different rectangular test specimens of 120 × 5 mm size were made from ten different grades of carbon fiber, FRP, and resins using vacuum bagging. After properly curing these test specimens, we quantified their dynamic mechanical characteristics using various bending load experiments on a universal testing machine (UTM). An analysis of the experimental data facilitated the identification of the best composite combinations that provide maximum strength while reducing overall weight. Thus, we could understand the dynamic interplay between peak stress and test specimen weight. We also manufactured a UAV prototype using the identified combination and instrumented and flight-tested it to substantiate the experimental findings.