Comparison of Measured and Computed Flight Performance of a 33-kg Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 3
Abstract
A 32.8-kg unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is employed as a case study to assess the accuracy of the empirical techniques used in predicting aerodynamic performance. Despite the prevalent use of empirical methods for the design of new UAV airframes, it remains difficult to quantify the uncertainty in their use, even for traditional aircraft configurations. In this study, a collection of common methods is applied for developing a simple mathematical model for predicting various performance metrics, including thrust required for level, ascending, or turning flight. The calculated performance is compared directly against actual aircraft performance.
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Acknowledgments
This research is supported in part by Washington State University (WSU) president Elson Floyd’s signature student design program, and the Devlieg Foundation. The authors would like to thank the WSU Aerospace Club for the use of their space as well as the Lewis Clark R/C Model Club. Special thanks are extended to Patrick Adam, Justin Bahrami, Eric Barrow, Ryan Brooks, Patrick Gavin, Robert Hutchinson, Alex Mattson, Nic Perry, Eli Shoemake, and Ryan Woods for their assistance with construction, flight operations, and data acquisition.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 3 • May 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 24, 2015
Accepted: Jul 13, 2015
Published online: Oct 12, 2015
Discussion open until: Mar 12, 2016
Published in print: May 1, 2016
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