DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A FLYING WING RECONNAISSANCE UAV

The "Flying Wing" configuration has been proven to be among the most aerodynamically efficient aircraft configurations. This paper focuses on the design and development of a Flying Wing UAV with the aim of conducting aerial reconnaissance. The envisioned aircraft weighs around 4 kg. A sweptback design with tapered wings was chosen to achieve appropriate balance between aerodynamic and stability performance. Reflex airfoils were also researched extensively due to their inherent aid in a flying wing configuration. The design was iterated to improve efficiency and overcome shortcomings in previous designs. Epler 186 showed a maximum lift coefficient of 1.12 at an angle of attack of 12 degrees and also showed a minimum drag coefficient of 0.015 at an angle of attack of -1.75 degrees. The aircraft has been designed to meet the flying qualities of a Class 1 (small and lightweight) aircraft belonging to category B as described in MIL-F-8785C. A retractable landing gear is also envisioned keeping high endurance in mind. Catia V5 was used extensively for the CAD design with analysis being conducted in Ansys. AVL and xflr5 were used to determine the stability characteristics and preference was also given to hand calculations to verify the results. The flight can be radio controlled with a pilot flying the aircraft and it can also be used with an autopilot, having provisions for both. Thus, this paper provides a baseline for further analyses and study and can pave the way for a potential full-scale reconnaissance UAV.