Comparison of Measured and Computed Flight Performance of a 33-kg Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

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.