Quick estimates for analysis and prediction of the fl ight mechanics of unmanned aerial vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are commonly employed in undergraduate engineering curricula. Limited literature is, however, available for the lay design engineer or engineering student regarding the modelling, simulation and analysis of the fl ight dynamics of small UAV systems, especially pertaining to fl ight dynamics modelling. There is great demand for unskilled UAV designers to predict the stability of new designs, quickly, cheaply, and with relative ease, preferably during the conceptual design stage. This paper summarizes some salient techniques for performing quick characterization of the longitudinal dynamics of a small, electrically propelled UAV, by using freely available software such as Datcom+, AVL, XFLR5 and MotoCalc. The simulation outputs compare favourably with experimental results from a wind tunnel. The software was also used to provide accurate estimates of coeffi cients required for performing an analysis of the UAV's longitudinal dynamics. The proffered analytical techniques should greatly benefi t lay design engineers and engineering students venturing into the realm of UAV research.