Conceptual Design of a Small­ Size Unmanned Air Vehicle : Part A: Aerodynamic Performance and Structural Design

Abstract: In this report, the conceptual design of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and aerodynamic analysis is treated. The project was split into two groups, one group would do the aerodynamic analysis, and the other group would do the performance analysis. The plan was to create a UAV capable of surveying life stock, large farmlands, wildlife, and also reindeer husbandry. This demanded that the aircraft had to be able to easily launch from all types of locations. To solve this the plane was designed for vertical take-off and landing capabilities (VTOL).  The study includes the selection and performance testing of an airfoil, aerodynamic performance of the wing, and the wing's geometry. It also includes stability analysis, structural design, and CAD creation. The majority of this work was done by combining the usage of the design tool XFLR5 with CAD from Solid Edge and equations done in MATLAB. The aircraft accomplishes our goals to have it be VTOL functional. It has a flight time of over 2 hours and weighs less than 5 kg. Its cruise speed lies at 12 m/s. It is also possible to create a detailed design and to produce the aircraft with relative ease and low cost. Its dynamic stability is however not optimized and further work is needed if optimized stability is desired.