Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Flight Characteristics of Aircraft Types PDF

AE 575 Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Flight Semester 241 Dr. Syed Saad Azhar Ali 75-110 [email protected]  Characteristics of Aircraft Types AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 2  AIRCRAFT TYPES Bas...

AE 575 Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Flight Semester 241 Dr. Syed Saad Azhar Ali 75-110 [email protected]  Characteristics of Aircraft Types AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 2  AIRCRAFT TYPES Based on Endurance Range Altitude Role Size Take-off AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 3 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT Considering Long Endurance e.g. Northrop-Grumman Global Hawk, high-altitude, long-endurance UAV Used for long-range reconnaissance and they are required to carry a sophisticated (and therefore usually heavy) payload into position over long distances (say 5000 km) AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 4 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT General Atomics Predator medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 5 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT To reduce the mass of the payload whilst retaining its mission capability, three main concerns of the airframe designer must be to: a) Keep the aerodynamic drag of the aircraft as low as possible (to suit the practical installation and operation of the aircraft systems such as the payload, power-plant, radio antennae, etc.) b) Use the latest practical structural technology to obtain the highest possible ratio of disposable load to aircraft gross mass – this is also known as the ‘disposable load fraction’. c) Install a reliable power-plant which provides an adequate level of power, yet is light in weight and is fuel efficient, particularly under the conditions at which the aircraft will spend the majority of its time AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 6 operating. LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT HALE UAV variation of aircraft drag with airspeed and International Standard Atmosp altitude (ISA) AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 8 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT HALE UAV: effect of wing aspect ratio on aircraft drag at high altitudes (aircraft at gross mass) AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 9 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT HALE UAV: effect of wing aspect ratio on aircraft drag at high altitudes (aircraft mass with half fuel) AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 10 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT HALE UAV: power required to maintain height. Variation with airspeed and altitude 114 kN AUW, ISA conditions 81.8 kN AUW, ISA conditions AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 11 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 12 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 13 LONG-ENDURANCE, LONG-RANGE ROLE AIRCRAFT Armed MALE UAV AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 14  MEDIUM-RANGE, TACTICAL AIRCRAFT Fixed-wing Aircraft a) The Hunter RQ-5A UAV by IAI, Malat and Northrop Grumman, USA; b) The Seeker II UAV by Denel Aerospace Systems, South Africa; c) The Ranger UAV by RUAG Aerospace, Switzerland; d) The Shadow 600 UAV by AAI Corp., USA. AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 15  MEDIUM-RANGE, TACTICAL AIRCRAFT VTOL (Rotary-winged) Aircraft a) The Northrop-Grumman Firescout, which utilises the dynamic components from a four-seat passenger helicopter within a new airframe. b) The Schiebel Camcopter, which is an aircraft specifically designed as a UAV. c) The Beijing Seagull – a coaxial rotor helicopter a little larger than the Camcopter. d) The Textron-Bell Sea Eagle, tilt-rotor aircraft, which uses the technology from military and civilian passenger aircraft in the design of a smaller UAV aircraft. Although this aircraft has been operated in various trials, further development is currently on hold. AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 16  MEDIUM-RANGE, TACTICAL AIRCRAFT Technical data for Medium-Range Aircrafts (estimated) AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 17  CLOSE-RANGE/BATTLEFIELD AIRCRAFT It is convenient to sub-divide this category into two sub- types. Non-VTOL Aircraft Systems a) Those systems which use aircraft that depend upon additional equipment to enable their launch and/or recovery, i.e. non-VTOL; b) Those systems which use aircraft that have a VTOL capability. AE-575  CLOSE-RANGE/BATTLEFIELD AIRCRAFT VTOL Aircraft Systems AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 19  CLOSE-RANGE/BATTLEFIELD AIRCRAFT Comparison of Close-range Systems AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 20  CLOSE-RANGE/BATTLEFIELD AIRCRAFT It may be argued that a properly configured VTOL rotorcraft system is better suited to the close-range/battlefield scenario than is a ramp-launched HTOL aircraft system: (a)It is less vulnerable to enemy attack in the air and less vulnerable on the ground as it is more mobile with far less ground equipment and personnel deployed. (b)VTOL will cost no more as a system to procure and will cost less in operation through lower cost of personnel; (c)It has the advantage of lower response to air turbulence and the versatility of hover and low-speed flight. AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 21  MUAV TYPES Mini UAVs: Less than or equal to 10 kg AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 22  MAV AND NAV The development of MAV (micro) systems may adopt one of four forms of airframe: a) fixed-wing b) rotary-wing c) flapping wing (ornithopter) d) ducted lift-fan. Nano Air Vehicles AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 23 UNMANNED COMBAT AIR VEHICLES (UCAV) AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 24 NOVEL HYBRID AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATIONS AE-575 Characteristics of aircraft types 25