International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

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Design and Fabrication of Fixed-Wing UAV for Commercial Monitoring

Shiva Sharma1, Umran Sharieff2, Ankit Singh3, Dr. R.S.Tarnacha4
1Aeronautical Engineer, Amity Institute of Technology, Amity University, Noida, India
2Aeronautical Engineer, Amity Institute of Technology, Amity University, Noida, India
3Aeronautical Engineer, Amity Institute of Technology, Amity University, Noida, India
4Sr. Consultant, Tata Technologies, Amity Institute of Technology, Amity University, Noida, India

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Abstract – The fixed-wing UAV’s present huge potentiality on the longitudinal stability and control, C.G determination,
as far as concern both precision and efficiency, allowing not weight estimation and the performance estimation. The
only to bring down operating costs with respect to traditional entire design process is divided into three segments:
planes or helicopters, but also to intervene in environments conceptual design, preliminary design and detail design. The
where it couldn’t be possible to operate by an aircraft with conceptual design discusses about the initial design of the
pilot on board. This report highlights the entire design cycle fixed-wing UAV, body sizing, and wing sizing. In the
for the production of fixed-wing UAV using flight dynamics preliminary design, all the analytical and the computational
approach at minimal cost. The mission requirement specified work is performed. The detail design consists of the
is commercial monitoring using a fixed camera attached to the generation of the CAD model, drafting sheet and the
body. The fixed-wing designed UAV possess various advantages structural analyses. The 3-D printing technology is also
like longer flight capability, larger areas covered in less time, incorporated in order to produce a 3-D prototype of the
better quality of photographic result, better control of flight model. The printed model works for highlighting the critical
parameters, higher flight safety and high range and components of the actual fabricated part. Finally, the fixed-
endurance. wing UAV is manufactured after the proper selection of the
materials, and components. The flight testing will verify the
Introduction scope of the project i.e., commercial monitoring
(surveillance) and also verifies the calculations performed in
In today’s world, the UAVs, or Remotely Piloted Vehicles the preliminary design stage.
(RPV’s) plays a very important role in completing various
Hence, the report provides the detailed description on the
tasks like goods distribution, commercial monitoring,
design and fabrication of the fixed-wing UAV for commercial
surveillance for military applications, object tracking, quality
monitoring and proves its advantages over the rotary wing
aerial imaging etc., that are not possible by the manned
(drones). The report also highlights the use of the flight
flight. The UAVs are controlled remotely which only requires
dynamics approach to ensure that the fixed-wing UAV is
a trained operator. Moreover, these minimizes the danger to
stable during the flight and verification is done by flight
the person controlling it and also provides flexibility for
testing of the model.
quick inspection in the critical regions. The most important
advantage for which these flying aircrafts are used are the 1. Unmanned-Aerial Vehicle
safety of the pilot who does not accompany the vehicle and
the low cost of the production. The wings are the main lifting component in the fixed wing
design. A critical aerodynamics study is done to study the
The purpose of this project is to design and fabricate the
various airfoil shapes which can give appropriate lift and
fixed-wing UAV for the commercial monitoring purpose. The
thrust as per the design and mission requirements. The
fixed-wing UAV is the type of UAV, wherein the wings are the
design changes in the airfoil design can result in better L/D.
main lifting component. A critical aerodynamic study is
Hence, the UAV can generate more lift with a minimal drag.
required for the selection of the wings which can provide an
The fixed wing design require less power and thrust loading
efficient flight. The fixed wing designs have various
when compared with the multi copter.
advantages over the quadcopters or drones. They provide
high thrust, more range and endurance, high aerodynamic The fixed-wing UAVs are very advanced machines which are
efficiency and stability, flight safety, etc. This design of fixed exclusively significant in terms of aerodynamics performance,
wing UAV is based on flight dynamics approach. This maneuvering, structure load carrying capabilities and
approach mainly focuses on the study and the calculations performing stealth, military and commercial operations.
Various flight tests and experimental analysis have shown

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that the UAV’s offer remarkable performance with higher calculation parts which proves that the selected design
range and endurance when compared to the manned meets the requirements. The calculations are performed on
systems. aerodynamics, flight mechanics, flight dynamics, structural
analysis. Further, the use of the software’s like CATIA for
2. Design Cycle for Fixed-Wing UAV
CAD design, ANSYS for structural analysis, MATLAB for
The following is the design methodology usually adopted weight estimation is also used to verify the analytical
when designing any sort of aerial machine. calculations. The calculations and the iterations are
performed so that the concept can be transformed to reality
and at a reasonable cost.

Detail Design: The detail design is the final design stage

where the concept is designed using a CAD software. Since
the calculations in the preliminary design stage is fixed, so
the next stage is to fix the final design. The drafting is done
based on the 3rd angle projection and the 1st angle
Fig 1 : Design Methodology projection. This is a highly complex and critical stage of the
process. After the CAD design and the drafting, the
The aircraft design process is also similar to the general component is prepared for the fabrication of the parts. The
design process. However, there are some additions to the fabrication can be done in two ways:
design guidelines because the aircraft design has to pass • Directly using the drafting sheets for fabrication and
through various tests and quality certification so that the assembly of parts
final product meets the project requirement. The complexity • Using the prototype model in order to study the critical
of an aircraft and the tight safety regulations required make design areas and then proceed with fabrication accordingly.
it a very expensive and long process. The critical components that are designed are airfoil, wing,
In order to obtain an accurate product or a part, it is fuselage, empennage, propulsion system, landing gear,
essential to thoroughly understand each and every design control surfaces, etc.
stage and frame the design idea by highlighting the key
design requirements and mission specifications. Flight Testing: In this stage, the fabricated component is
tested whether it is meeting the mission requirements or
Problem Definition: At the initial design stage, the market not. The flight testing is a lengthy and expensive process
survey is done, and the requirements are listed down. Here, because it must be ensured that the fabricated structure
the main focus is done on the available concepts and satisfies all the tests and produces good results.
products and study is done on the design improvement to
meet the mission requirements. Discussion is done on the Critical Design Review: In this, stage, certain changes can
key requirements of the project mission and to determine be done in the fabricated model to ensure that everything
the workflow pattern. works properly. For e.g., setting location of the centre of
gravity in the fabricated component. After this stage, the
Conceptual Design: It is the first stage of the aircraft design. design is competed and can be prepared so that it can
Here, the rough sketches and the design geometries are perform its mission requirements.
sketch on a paper. Different layout is worked on so that the
best design can be chosen for further calculation. The
designers work to obtain a suitable aircraft configuration
that meets the market demand and also fulfil the mission
requirement. Here, consideration is laid on the
aerodynamics, stability, structural configuration,
performance, weight, and the control systems. However, the
initial design begins with the selection of wings, fuselage
design, and the aircraft’s engine size.
Preliminary Design: The second stage of the design process
is the preliminary design. This design process involves the

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3. Design Methodology: Conceptual Design 3.1 Wing Selection and Geometry Consideration

Fig 5 : Rectangular Wing Planform-Conceptual Design

The wing selected for the design calculations and the

fabrication is the rectangular wing. The rectangular wing is
Fig 2 : Top View specially selected since the mission requirement is not for
high altitude flying and the rectangular section wing will be
easy to fabricate. Rectangular wings better tolerate minor
lapses in quality control/airfoil smoothness. The rectangular
wings are the root chord stallers.
If a situation occurs where stalling takes place, then the root
chord will first stall followed by effects on the control
surfaces like ailerons and flaps. This root chord stall will help
the aircraft to regain stability again.

Fig 3 : Front View Airfoil Selection: For the fixed wing UAV, the AG38 is
selected as the reference airfoil having a flat pressure
surface. The dimensions and the wing sizing ae specified
below.

Fig 6 : Airfoil Configuration

Flight Dynamics Design Calculations (Preliminary

Design): -

For a Rectangular wing with Flat Bottom Airfoil, the design

considerations are: -

Wing Span (b): 1.22 m (120 cm to 130 cm)

Chord Length (c): 0.166 m (14 cm to 18 cm)

Width of the Wing (w): 0.166 m (Same as chord length

due to flat bottom)
Fig 4 : Side View
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Width of the Fuselage (wf): 0.08 m (7 cm to 9 cm) The Aspect Ratio (A.R) is defined as the ratio of square of
span and the area of the wing.
Maximum Thickness of Airfoil: 0.022 m (2 cm to 3 cm)

Maximum Thickness Distance from LE: 0.055 m (5 cm

to 6 cm)
A.R = 7.3493
Suction Surface Camber Length: 0.17 m (16 cm to 18
cm) The Taper Ratio () is defined as the ratio of Tip Chord (Ct)
to Root Chord (Cr).
Maximum Weight of the Fixed Wing UAV = 0.7 kg (600 g
to 700 g)

Area of Rectangular Wing (s) = span x width = 1.22 x

0.166 = 0.20252 m2 Since the wing planform is symmetrical so the tip chord and
the root chord have the same value and the corresponding
Maximum Flight Velocity (V∞) = 5.55 m/s to 10.55 m/s taper ratio is 1.
(19.98 ft/s to 37.98 ft/s) The Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) is also defined as the
average length of the chord.

The MAC = 0.166 depicts that the rectangular planform is

unform from the tip chord to the root chord of the airfoil.
The Sweep Back Angle is zero due to rectangular wing
planform.

NOTE:
In the mission requirements, the Maximum Cruise Speed of
the UAV selected is : 5.55 m/s.
Fig 7 : ‘Cl’ vs ‘α’ Curve for Selected Airfoil Configuration Maximum Time of Flight : 10 min to 15 mins
Maximum Altitude : 20 m (65.6167 ft)
e (Oswald’s Efficiency) = 0.8
The Design Lift Coefficient is given by:-
Cd,o = 0.03 (for complete aircraft)

The efficiencies mentioned below are determined based

on the market survey and by the study of configuration of
the electronic equipment’s available.

Efficiencies: i. Electrical Efficiency (electrical) = 0.98

From the 2D Lift Curve Slope, the value of a2D is calculated
ii. Motor Efficiency (motor) = 0.9 as: -

iii. Propeller Efficiency (propeller) = 0.95

Thickness/chord (t/c) ratio: 0.022/0.166 = 0.1325

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The 3D Lift Curve Slope (a3D) is given by: - 3.2 Tail Selection and Geometry Consideration

On Substituting the values, 3D lift curve slope value is

determined to be a3D = 5.4036 per radian = 0.09431 per
degree.
Now, k = 1/(π.e.AR) = 1/ (3.14 x 0.8 x 7.3493)
k = 0.05413
Fig 8 : Rectangular Wing Planform-Conceptual Design
The Induced Drag is given by,
Airfoil Selection: Generally, the airfoil selected for the
elevator design is the symmetrical airfoil. For the design of
the fixed-wing UAV, NACA 0006 symmetrical airfoil is
selected. This airfoil also lies in the thin airfoils category, so
the Thin Airfoil Theory is applicable for this airfoil.
The Coefficient of Drag (Cd) is given by,

Since the airfoil used for the design of the fixed-wing UAV
resembles the symmetrical airfoil, hence the thin airfoil
theory can be applied, and the values of symmetrical airfoil Fig 9 : Airfoil Configuration
can be considered for the UAV design.
The ean e dyna ic en e ( ac) of the airfoil is Flight Dynamics Design Calculations (Preliminary
located at the quarter chord point from the thin airfoil Design): -
theory.
For a Rectangular wing with Symmetrical Airfoil, the
design considerations are: -

Wing Span (b): 0.37 m (35 cm to 40 cm)

Chord Length (c): 0.09 m (5 cm to 10 cm)

Since, for a thin airfoil, the moment coefficient about the
quarter chord point i.e. CM,1/4.c is ‘0’ and at that point, angle Width of the Wing (w): 0.09 m (Same as chord length due
of attack has no effect on the airfoil. to flat bottom)
So, the point at which the pitching moment is zero at thin
airfoil, is called the quarter chord point. Width of the Fuselage at tail end (wf): 0.03 m (2 cm to 5
Aerodynamic Center is defined as the point on the chord cm)
line where the pitching moment remains constant with the
change in the angle of attack. Hence, it can be concluded Maximum Thickness of Airfoil: 0.008 m (0.5 cm to 1 cm)
that the quarter chord point of the airfoil selected for
Area of Rectangular Wing (s) = span x width = 0.37 x
UAV design is also the aerodynamic center.
0.09 = 0.0333 m2
Hence, from the conceptual design, the following parameters
have been determined: Aspect Ratio, Taper Ratio, Mean Maximum Flight Velocity (V∞) = 5.55 m/s to 10.55 m/s
Aerodynamic Chord, Wingspan, Design Lift Coefficient, 2-D (19.98 ft/s to 37.98 ft/s)
Lift Curve Slope, 3D Lift Curve Slope, Induced Drag,
Coefficient of Drag from selected flight velocity and weight.

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From the 2D Lift Curve Slope, the value of a2D is calculated

as: -

The 3D Lift Curve Slope (a3D) is given by: -

On Substituting the values, 3D lift curve slope value is

Fig 10 : Lift Curve slope for NACA 0006 Airfoil determined to be a3D = 3.8948 per radian = 0.06797 per
e (Oswald’s Efficiency) = 0.8 degree.

Cd,o = 0.03 (for complete aircraft) The ean e dyna ic en e ( ac) of the airfoil is
located at the quarter chord point from the thin airfoil
The thickness/chord (t/c) ratio is given by : 0.008/0.09 = theory.
0.0888

The Aspect Ratio (A.R) is defined as the ratio of square of

span and the area of the wing.

Since, for a thin airfoil, the moment coefficient about the

quarter chord point i.e. CM,1/4.c is ‘0’ and at that point, angle
of attack has no effect on the airfoil.

4. Longitudinal Stability and Control

The Taper Ratio () is defined as the ratio of Tip Chord
(Ct) to Root Chord (Cr). The longitudinal static stability is basically the stability
during the pitching motion of the aircraft. Pitching
motion is the nose up and down condition which is the
motion about the y-axis or the pitch axis or the lateral
axis. Elevator is the control surface which is used to
maintain the longitudinal stability of the aircraft.
Since the wing planform is symmetrical so the tip chord and
Trim (Equilibrium) Condition: The trim condition for the
the root chord have the same value and the corresponding
taper ratio is 1. longitudinal static stability is: MC.G = 0 i.e., pitching moment
about the C.G location must be zero.
The Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) is also defined as the
average length of the chord. In terms of the pitching moment coefficient, Cm,C,G = 0

The moment expression is given by M = ½ .  . V2 . s. c . Cm

Condition for Longitudinal Static Stability: -

1. The pitching moment coefficient curve slope i.e., Cm, must

negative (less than zero).

2. The value of the pitching moment coefficient at zero angle

of attack must be positive i.e., Cm,0 > 0.

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Fig 11 : Gene al ‘ m’ vs ‘’ Pl

In the above plot, the aircraft 1 is longitudinally stable while

the aircraft 2 is longitudinally unstable. The aircraft 1
satisfies both stability criteria but for the aircraft 2, Cm,0 is
negative hence it is unstable and will require more stick
force application and thereby more efforts of the pilot.

In the above plot, inc ease in ‘’ sh uld lead he n se

down moment for stability due to the negative restoring
moment of the aircraft (Point C).

With the low angle of attack, the restoring moment is

positive, and the nose will go up for maintaining the The first term CL ,w is always positive, and the second term is
longitudinal stability (Point A). also positive because xc.g>xac.

4.1 Contribution of Wing towards Longitudinal

Hence, The Cm,w is also positive. It can be concluded that
Static Stability the wing contributes to the aircraft by destabilizing it.

The Fuselage Contribution is not calculated because its

contribution to the longitudinal static stability is very less or
insignificant as the lift force is negligible in the fuselage.

Fig 12 : Wing Contribution

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4.2 Contribution of Tail towards Longitudinal Static providing more negative ‘ m,,t’. So, the resultant is the
Stability ‘s abili y f he ai c af ’.
The complete wing-body-tail effect on the longitudinal static
stability for the fixed-wing UAV is studied and calculated in
the further section of the project.
4.3 Longitudinal Stability for Complete Wing-Body-
Tail Configuration

Wing Setting Angle, iw = 3.2o

Tail Setting Angle, it = 2.5o
 is the tail efficiency and generally lies between 0.8 to 1.2.
It depends upon the location from C.G. It is preferred to
establish the tail farther from the wing.

Fig 13 : Tail Contribution  = 0.9 (For UAV-from historical data)

VH is the Horizontal Tail Volume Ratio = lt . st / (s . cmac)w

lt = 0.52 m
st = b x c = 0.0333 m2
s = 0.20252 m2
c = 0.166 m (Mean Aerodynamic Centre)

VH = 0.51507

‘’ is the downwash angle.

a3D (wing) = 0.09431 per degree

e = 0.8 (historical data)

A.R of Wing = 7.3493

 is the tail efficiency and generally lies between 0.8 to 1.2.
It depends upon the location from C.G. It is preferred to
establish the tail farther from the wing.
a3D (tail) = 0.06797 per degree
a3D (wing) can also be described as awb (Wing Body
Configuration Lift Curve Slope)
Pitching Moment Coefficient of the tail i.e., Cm, t is negative, so
the tail gives the stabilizing effect to the complete aircraft.

Cm,0, t can be made positive by increasing tail efficiency()

and the horizontal tail volume ratio(VH).

Fig 14 : Airfoil Nomenclature and Geometry

Hence, the tail portion nullify the effect of the wing
destability and provides longitudinal static stability by

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CM, cg, t = Pitching moment coefficient about the airplane’s

center of gravity due to the horizontal tail.

CM, cg, wb = moment coefficient about the centre of gravity

CM, ac, wb = moment coefficient about the aerodynamic center

CM, C.G is the total moment coefficient about the center of
h (center of gravity in fractions of chord length) = 0.35 gravity for the complete airplane.
(From Historical Data) (Non-Dimensionalized)

hac,wb = Aerodynamic Centre in fraction (Non-

Dimensionalized)
 = Angle of Attack Equations for Longitudinal Static Stability
(Wing+Body+Tail): -
For the similar configuration aircrafts, from the historical
data, it is observed that at 1o angle of attack, CM, cg, wb = -
0.01 and at 8o angle of attack, CM, cg, wb = 0.05
a = 0.09431 per degree (3D Curve Slope for Wing)
At,  = 1o, Cl = 0.5292 (From the Lift Curve Slope)
At,  = 8o, Cl = 1.4553 (From the Lift Curve Slope)
h - hac, wb = 0.09088

Solving for 1o angle of attack, we get

 = 0.9 (For UAV-from historical data)
-0.01 = CM, ac, wb + 0.37724. (h - hac, wb)
Now, solving for 8o angle of attack, we get
VH = 0.51507
0.05 = CM, ac, wb + 1.03471. (h - hac, wb)
a3D (tail) = 0.06797 per degree = at
The above two equations have two unknowns ‘CM, ac, wb’ and
d / dα = 0.0081694
‘(h - hac, wb)’, They can be solved simultaneously. Subtracting
the second equation from the first, we get
On substituting the values, we obtain,
-0.06 = -0.66017 (h - hac, wb)
h - hac, wb = 0.09088
CM, (for complete aircraft) = dCM, c.g / da
Since h = 0.35 (Non-Dimensionalized)
CM, = 0.09431 [(0.09088)–{0.51507.0.9. (0.06797/0.09431).
0.35 - hac, wb = 0.06451
(1-0.0081694)}]
hac, wb = 0.25912 = Aerodynamic Centre in fraction
(Non-Dimensionalized)
On solving the equation, we obtain,
Now, back substituting in the equation: -0.01 = CM, ac, wb + CM, = dCM, c.g / da = -0.02267
0.37724. (h - hac, wb),
-0.01 = CM, ac, wb + 0.52. (0.35 – 0.25912), Hence, the slope of the moment coefficient curve for the
entire aircraft is negative, which denotes the aircraft is
Hence, CM, ac, wb (moment coefficient about the aerodynamic longitudinally stable. The major stability is given by the
center) = -0.04428. tail region and due to which the pitching moment
coefficient curve slope is found out to be negative. This
Total Pitching Moment About the Center of Gravity: - has satisfied the first criteria of the longitudinal static
stability.
Since Mcg, t denotes the contribution to moments about the
airplane’s center of gravity due to the horizontal tail. However, is the model longitudinally balanced?

To answer this, it is required to determine CM,0, which in

combination with the preceding result for dCM, c.g / da will
yield the equilibrium angle of attack trim or e.

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o = 0 (From Data Source)

CM, ac, wb (moment coefficient about the aerodynamic

center) = -0.04428

Tail Setting Angle, it = 2.5o

 = 0.9 (For UAV-from historical data)
VH = 0.51507 Fig 16 : Pitching Moment Coefficient Curve Slop for Entire
a3D (tail) = 0.06797 per degree = at Aircraft

After substituting the values, For calculating the trim angle of attack, the following
CM,0 = -0.04428 + (0.51507. 0.9. 0.06797). (0 + 2.5o) equation will be used: -

CM,0 = 0.0344909 CM, c.g = CM,0 + CM, . 

Hence, the value of CM,0 is g ea e han ‘0’ and falls in he If,  = trim, then CM, c.g = 0
permissible range. Therefore, the above calculation Hence, we obtain,
prove that the UAV is longitudinally stable.
This has satisfied the second criteria of the longitudinal 0 = 0.03449 + (-0.02267). trim
static stability.
trim = 1.52130

The equation,

indicates that static stability is a strong function of h.

Fig 15 : Pitching Moment Curve Slope for the Entire UAV

Fig 17 : Illustration of Static Stability (a) Equilibrium
Now, to determine trim angle of attack, trim or e, CM, c.g = 0 position (trimmed), (b) Pitched upward by disturbance,
in the Pitching moment coefficient curve slope. (c) Pitched downward by disturbance. In both b and c, the
airplane has the initial tendency to return to its
equilibrium position.

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There are two possibilities: If the aircraft is pitched From the above plot, it can be concluded that if the C.G is
upwards i.e., >e, the moment about the centre of gravity shifting forwards, i.e., towards the leading edge, the aircraft
will be negative. The restoring moment is negative due to the becomes more stable. However, if the C.G is shifted
change in angle of attack and this moment generated will backwards, the aircraft becomes unstable and when it
lead to the nose down moment for the longitudinal stability. crosses the line of CM, = 0 (Neutrally Stable), then CM, >0.
Hence, the airplane will initially tend to move back toward Hence,
its equilibrium position after being disturbed. On the other For Static Stability, C.G should be ahead of Neutral Point
hand, if the plane is pitched downward by the gust i.e., <e, (N.P).
the resulting moment about the center of gravity will be For Unstability, C.G should be behind of Neutral Point
positive (clockwise) and will tend to pitch the nose upward. (N.P)
Thus, again we have the situation where the airplane will For Neutral Static Stability, h=hn
initially tend to move back toward its equilibrium position
after being disturbed due the positive restoring moment. Static Margin: Static Margin is the distance between the
This precisely gives the definition of static stability. neutral point and the actual C.G position. The static margins
talk about the stability. Higher is the static margin, the
Neutral Point (hn): The C.G location at which CM, = 0 i.e., aircraft becomes more stable.
the slope of pitching moment coefficient vs alpha is zero
then the aircraft is said to be neutrally stable and at CM, = 0, Static Margin = (xNP / MAC) – (xC.G/MAC)
stick fixed neutral point can be determined.
The location of the neutral point is readily obtained from Static Margin = hn – h = 0.6 – 0.35
equation,
Static Margin = 0.25

by substituting h = hn and dCM, c.g / da = 0, Also, the equation,

CM, c.g / da = -a (hn – h) = -a. (Static Margin)

On substituting the values, we get,

On substituting the values in the above equation, we get, CM, c.g / da = -0.02357

hn = 0.25912 + {0.51507. 0.9. (0.7207). (1 – 0.0081694}] This shows that the static margin is a direct measure of
longitudinal static stability. For static stability, the static
hn = 0.5904  0.6 (Non-Dimensionalized) margin must be positive.
Moreover, the larger the static margin, the more stable the
airplane.

Hence, from the Aircraft Stability and Control concept, it

is proved that the UAV designed is longitudinally stable
and the values of the parameters lies within the
permissible range.

Fig 18 : Effect of the location of the center of gravity,

relative to the neutral point, on static stability

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4.4 Locations of Aerodynamic Centre, C.G, Neutral ce: Elevator chord length
Point and Static margin
Elevator Control Effectiveness (): The control
effectiveness is the measure of how effective the control
deflection is in producing the desired control moment.

Control Effectiveness = fn (Size of flap, VH))

VH = Horizontal Tail Volume Ratio = lt. st / (s. cmac) w

If the elevator size is increased, then the control

effectiveness will get increased, since the area of tail will get
Fig 19 : Illustration of the Locations: A.C, C.G, N.P, Static increased.
Margin The deflection of the elevator will not change the slope of
CM,, it only changes the trim angle. With the change in the
elevator angle, trim point changes and hence the trim angle
also changes.

4.5 Elevator Trim Angle

The longitudinal control during the aircraft flight is done by

the elevator located on the horizontal stabilizer. The elevator
functions for the pitch control during the flight and is
deflected upwards or downwards accordingly to maintain an
equilibrium flight. This process allows the aircraft to fly at
trim angle of attack and is said to be longitudinally stable.
Fig 21 : Change in Trim Angle with Elevator Deflection

Elevator Control Power (CM,,e): The elevator control power

is defined as the ratio of the coefficient of the pitching
moment to the elevator deflection.
CM,,e is also known as the Stability Derivative. It tells that
how much the elevator has the controlling power. It tells that
with the elevator deflection, how much pitching moment
changes
Fig 20 : Elevator Control for Pitch
CM,,e = dCM / de

e is the elevator deflection. If e is positive then the elevator

It is also given by the relation,
is deflected downwards, generating more lift on the tail
section. On the other hand, if e is negative then the elevator
is deflected upwards, generating more drag, and thereby
reduced lift on the tail section.

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Calculation of Elevator Angle of Trim (trim): -

Since the pitching moment of the centre of gravity is given

by: -

 = dt / de
The above equation explicitly gives the effect of elevator
The designer can control the magnitude of the elevator deflection on moments about the center of gravity of the
control effectives by proper selection of the horizontal tail airplane.
volume ration and the elevator size. The increment in CM, c.g due only to a given elevator
deflection e is given by,
For the design of fixed wing UAV, the following values have
been calculated: -

Fig 22 : Elevator Deflection to Maintain the Equilibrium

Now, The geometric equation of the new slope is given by: -

CL,,e = dCL,t / de = 0.04
dαt / de = 0.04 / at

After re-substituting, we obtain,  (Elevator Effectiveness

Parameter) = dαt / de
Now, if the elevator is deflected by an angle e, the above
equation will have an additional term as CM, c.g
dαt / de = 0.04/ 0.0679
dαt / de = 0.5891

Elevator Control Power (CM,,e) = -VH.  . CL,,t . 

Also,
CM,,e = -0.51507. 0.9. 0.06797. 0.5891

CM,,e = -0.01856
On substitung CM, c.g in the above equation, we get,

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The efficiencies mentioned below are determined based on

the market survey and by the study of configuration of the
electronic equipment’s available.
5. Efficiencies: i. Electrical Efficiency (electrical) = 0.98
In order to bring the aircraft to the equilibrium position, the
ii. Motor Efficiency (motor) = 0.9
elevator deflection must be at its trim location i.e., trim. Also,
iii. Propulsion Efficiency (propulsion) = 0.95
at the trim condition, CM, c.g = 0.
6. Maximum Flight Velocity(V∞) = 5.55 m/s to 10.55 m/s
(19.98 ft/s to 37.98 ft/s)
Hence, on substituting in the above equation, we get,
7. Maximum Time of Flight = 15 min to 25 mins
8. Maximum Altitude = 20 m (65.6167 ft)

On substituting the values in the above equation, we get,

trim = [(0.034 + (-0.02267)) x 4] / (0.51507 x 0.04)

trim = -2.7452o

Hence, to trim the aircraft to its equilibrium position, the

elevator deflection required is -2.7452o i.e., the elevator
must be deflected upwards by an angle of 2.7452o.

5. Iterative Battery Weight Estimation

The mission requirement and the conceptual design

dimensions are required to be defined before proceeding Fig 23 : Lift Curve Slope for Airfoil and Wing
with the Iterative Weight Estimation.
Since, the project contains the fabrication part also, so the From the flight data, it has been observed that cruise angle of
initial sizing and weight were fixed based on the material attack lies between 4o to 6o.
available in the market and the purpose of fabrication of the 9. Cruise Angle of Attack = 4o
UAV. 10. Coefficient of Lift (CL) at 4o angle of attack = 0.09431
During the conceptual design study, following parameters = (CL – 0) / (4-(-3))
were kept for the initial layout of the fixed wing UAV: - (CL)=4o = 0.66017 (Cruise)
11. Coefficient of Drag (CD) = CD,0 + k . CL2 = 0.03 + 0.054 .
The initial design weights were considered for the UAV for 0.662
commercial monitoring. CD = 0.05352
12. (CL/CD)cruise = 0.6601/0.0535
1. Gross Weight of the UAV (W) = 700g (Design Weight) (CL/CD)cruise = 12.4528
2. Weight of the Propulsion System (Wp) = 60g to 80g
(Based on Market Research) Also, the maximum design time and the cruising velocity is
3. Weight of Payload (Camera for Surveillance) (Wpl) = also determined during the conceptual design phase. All
10g to 20g (Based on Market Research) these design parameters will be useful in the iterative weight
4. Weight of the Structure (Balsa Wood + Foam Board or estimation using MATLAB. This software will be used to
Corrugated Sheets) (Wstr) = 463 g (400g to 500g) predict whether the calculated values of the total weight,
(Design Weight Goal for Structure)

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structure, battery and payload are similar to those as WN = Wstr + Wpropulsion + Wbattery + Wpl
specified during the conceptual design study or not.
Hence, the new weight of the UAV must be equal to the
13. Weight Ratios = i. Wstr/W = 0.6614 (From the weight of baseline UAV selected during the initial phase for
Historical Database) iterations. Iterations will also determine the weight of the
ii. Wp/W = 0.1028 (From the battery which will be required to fly the UAV and maintain
Historical Database) longitudinal static stability.
14. Specific Energy Density (S.E.D) for 2200mAh LiPo
Battery (11.1V) MATLAB Code for Weight Estimation: -
S.E.D = (2200 x 11.1)/ (1000 x 07)
clear all
S.E.D = 34.8857 Wthr/Kg close all
clc
15. Output from Brushless Motor: Ps (Shaft Power)
16. Power Available to move the UAV forward: PA V=input('Enter the Flight Velocity in m/s \n');
17. Input Power for the brushless motor form electric t=input('Enter the Total Time of Flight in Hrs \n');
source: Pelectric SED=input('Enter the Specific Energy Density of Battery in
18. Efficiencies: i. Electrical Efficiency (electrical) = Wh.Hr/Kg \n');
Pelectric/Pbattery = 0.98
ii. Motor Efficiency (motor) = Ps/Pelectric = 0.9 W_b=0.7; %Base Line Aircraft Weight in Kg
iii. Propulsion Efficiency (propulsion) = PA/Ps = 0.95 Wst_W=0.6614; %Structural Weight Ratio Wstr/W
Wpro_W=0.1028; %Propulsion System Weight Ratio
Wpro/W
W_PL=0.015; %Payload of EO/IR Sensor in Kg

eff_propulsion=0.95;
eff_electrical=0.98;
eff_motor=0.9;

k=0;
for LbyD = 3:1:14
k = k+1;
L_D(k,1)= LbyD;
W_STR = Wst_W*W_b;
W_PRO = Wpro_W*W_b;
i = 0;
Wi = W_b;
Wf = 0;
while abs (Wi-Wf)>10^(-10)
Fig 24 : Typical Architecture of Brushless Motor i = i+1;
Propulsion if i==1
Wi = W_b;
Approach of Writing the MATLAB Code for Weight else
Estimation: - Wi = W;
end
1. Consider the weight and ratios of the baseline UAV. Pr = (Wi*9.81*V)/(LbyD);
2. Specify the iteration for convergence: (Wi+1 - Wi) < 10-10 P_bat = (1/(eff_propulsion*eff_electrical*eff_motor))*Pr;
(Criteria for Convergence) W_Bat = (P_bat*t)/(SED);
3. New Weight Calculation for UAV: Wi Wbattery WN W = W_STR + W_PRO + W_Bat + W_PL;
(New Weight of UAV) Wf = W;

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end

W_STR = Wst_W*W;
W_PRO = Wpro_W*W;
i = 0;
Wi = W;
Wf = 0;
while abs (Wi-Wf)>10^(-10)
i = i+1;
Wi = W;
Pr = (Wi*9.81*V)/(LbyD);
P_bat = (1/(eff_propulsion*eff_electrical*eff_motor))*Pr;
W_Bat = (P_bat*t)/(SED);
W = W_STR + W_PRO + W_Bat + W_PL;
Wf = W;
end

W_Final(k,1) = W; Fig 26 : Battery Weight Determination from MATLAB

W_BATTERY(k,1) = W_Bat; Iterations
W_PROPULSION(k,1)= W_PRO;
W_STRUCTURE(k,1)= W_STR; Results and Discussions: From the MATLAB Weight
end Estimation Program, the following weights were determined
for the fixed wing UAV: -
figure(1)
subplot(4,1,1),plot(L_D,W_Final,'*k') 1. Weight of Battery : 153.24 g
ylabel('W_t_o_t (kg)') 2. Weight of Propulsion System: 72.23 g
subplot(4,1,2),plot(L_D,W_BATTERY,'*k') 3. Weight of the Structure: 464.72 g
ylabel('W_b_a_t (kg)')
subplot(4,1,3),plot(L_D,W_PROPULSION,'*k') Hence, it was observed that the weight of the propulsion
ylabel('W_P_r_o (kg)') system and the structure is found in the desirable range.
subplot(4,1,4),plot(L_D,W_STRUCTURE,'*k') However, the main objective of performing the iterations
ylabel('W_s_t_r (kg)') was to obtain the battery weight for the designed UAV. The
xlabel('L/D') weight was found to be 153.24 g which is 21.8914% of the
design weight of UAV.

It can be concluded that, from the MATLAB iterations on

weight estimation, the gross weight of the UAV is 700 g and
for maintaining the longitudinal static stability, the battery
required for the design is to be around 153 g.

6. Performance Estimation
Fig 25 : MATLAB Command Window
The forces acting on the aircraft are: -
• Lift L, which is perpendicular to the flight path
direction.
• Drag D, which is parallel to the flight path direction.
• Weight W, which acts vertically toward the center of
the earth (and hence is inclined at angle θ with
respect to the lift direction).

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• Thrust T, which in general is inclined at the angle αT

with respect to the flight path direction.
Thrust required for level flight,

T/W=D/L (Level Flight Condition)

Minimum thrust required,

TR, min = W/ (CL/CD) max,

Here, thrust required is minimum when L/D is maximum

Stalling velocity is given by,

Vmin = Vstall = (L / (1/2) .  . s . CL,max)(1/2)

Power required is given by,

PR = ( 2 . W3 / (∞ . s) )(1/2) . (1 / (CL(3/2) / CD )),

Here, the power required is minimum when CL(3/2)/ CD is

maximum. Fig 27 : Calculation of the Performance Parameters

For fixed-wing UAV,

Vstall = 5.5528 m/s
Vcruise = 9.1573 m/s

Power Available for Flight: -

The rate of climb (R/C) is also given by R/C = (PA – PR)/ W,

R/C = 1.12,

PA = (R/C) . W + PR

PA = (R/C) . W + (D . V∞)

PA = (1.12 x 0.7 x 9.81) + (0.5 x 1.225 x 5.553 x 0.20252 (0.03

+ (0.0541 x 0.17942))

PA (Power Available) = 8.36413 W

The maximum flight velocity for UAV can be determined

when PA = PR. Hence, the power required plots can be
utilized to measure the value of the maximum velocity.

For the fixed wing UAV, the performance calculations are

performed for the determination of CL/ CD, CL (3/2)/CD , thrust
required and power required.

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7. Computer Aided Designing (CAD): Detail Design 8. Explicit Dynamics Analysis using ANSYS

ANSYS explicit dynamics uses the Lagrangian Frame of

Reference. This frame of reference is the most commonly
used type and also is the fastest method to represent the
analysis on the structural components. It effectively captures
the material location of the meshed domain and plots the
deformation values as the forces are applied.

8.1 Bird Strike Explicit Dynamics

The bird modelling is done using CATIA V5, where the

cylindrical geometry is designed with the diameter D and the
length of the geometry as twice of the diameter i.e., L=2 x D.
This cylindrical geometry is considered equivalent to the
Fig 28 : Fixed-Wing UAV Design using CATIA V5 bird geometry and can be taken into consideration while
doing the explicit dynamics.
The cylindrical geometry is designed close to the wing
leading edge to capture the accurate deformation on the
leading-edge surface.

Bird Geometry Details: -

D = 114.0999 mm (From Data Sources)
L = 2xD = 228.1999 mm

Material Selection: -
A. For Fixed Wing UAV,
E = 11.4 GPa (Considering Soft Woods - Balsa Wood or
Spruce Wood),  = 400 kg/m3,  = 0.3

B. For Cylindrical Body (Equivalent to Bird)

E = 3.2 GPa,  = 150 kg/m3 (For Indian Bird ‘Corvus
splendens’),  = 0.3

Velocity Selection: -

The flight velocity of the UAV ranges from 5.55 m/s to 10.55
m/s based on the design guidelines. However, the maximum
flight velocity can reach up to a value of 15 m/s if the UAV
flies at full throttle setting.

Velocity of the UAV: 13 m/s, Velocity of the Bird: 5 m/s,

Relative Velocity of the Bird: 18 m/s

Boundary Condition: -
Fixed Wing UAV: Fixed in Space, Cylindrical Body: Y-
Velocity of 18 m/s
Fig 29 : Drafting Sheet for Fixed-Wing UAV Design

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Concrete Base Geometry Details: -

Length (l) = 1300 mm, Breadth (b) = 1150 mm, Thickness
(t) = 50 mm

Material Selection: -
A. For Fixed Wing UAV,
E = 11.4 GPa (Considering Soft Woods - Balsa Wood or
Spruce Wood),  = 400 kg/m3,  = 0.3

B. For Concrete Base

E = 30 GPa,  = 2300 kg/m3,  = 0.18
Fig 30 : Fine Mesh-Cylindrical Body, Unstructured Fine
Mesh-Fixed Wing UAV Drop Height of the UAV: -
h = 50 m
Total Nodes: 154089, Total Elements: 387494
Impact Velocity of fixed-wing UAV: -
Total Deformation Result,
The impact velocity is calculated by the relation,
V = √(2.g.h),
g = 9.8 m/s2, h = 50 m

V = 31.3049 m/s

This is the impact velocity specified to the fixed wing UAV,

which will impact the concrete base.

Boundary Condition: -
Fixed Wing UAV: Z- velocity of 31.3049 m/s, Concrete
Base: All four edges fixed in space
Fig 31 : Detailed Meshed Deformation

Total Deformation: 9.1122 mm

It can be observed that the fixed wing UAV being a stronger

material is able to withstand the load. The deformation at the
leading edge varies from 4mm to 6mm.

8.2 Underbody Crash Explicit Dynamics

The underbody crash test denotes the belly-landing situation

of the UAV with no power or during the stall conditions. Fig 32 : Fine Mesh-Concrete Base, Unstructured Mesh-
Fixed Wing UAV
The fixed wing UAV geometry is kept same without any
change in the dimension. However, it is assumed that the Total Nodes: 92581, Total Elements: 180196
UAV will undergo belly landing on a concrete base.
Since, ANSYS Fluent does not have the provision to select the
entire surface as the ground or base, so during the modelling,
a plate is designed at 2mm below the undercarriage of the
fixed-wing UAV.

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Total Deformation Result, 9.1 3-D Printing Configuration Setup

1. Technique Used: FDM

2. 3-D Printer: ORIGINAL PRUSA I3 MK3
3. STL File Importing Software: FlashPrint
4. Slicing and gx File Generation Software: Ultimaker Cura
5. Material Used: PLA

Ultimaker Cura Print Settings: -

Quality: 1. Layer Height: 0.25 mm
2. Initial Layer Height: 0.25 mm
Material: 1. Printing Temperature: 215oC
Fig 33 : Detailed Meshed Deformation
2. Initial Printing Temperature: 215oC
Total Deformation: 13.817 mm 3. Final Printing Temperature: 215oC
4. Build Plate Initial and Final Temperature: 60oC
It can be observed that the maximum deformation occurs on Speed: 1. Print Speed: 30 mm/s
the UAV because, there is sudden interaction of the UAV with 2. Travel Speed: 120 mm/s
the concrete base, which will damage the underbody balsa 3. Initial Layer Print Speed: 15 mm/s
wood. Hence, the corrugated sheet thickness must be 4. Initial Layer Travel Speed: 60 mm/s
increased by around 15 mm at the underbody so that it can 5. Retraction Speed: 35 mm/s
absorb the loads and protect electrical components. Cooling: 1. Maximum Fan Speed: 100 mm/s
Support: 1. Support Structure: Normal
9. Additive Manufacturing 2. Support Placement: Touching Build Plate
3. Support Pattern: Zigzag
The additive manufacturing is a process in which a part or a Dimensions of the UAV: 183.0 x 146.6 x 35.1 mm (Scale
product is formed by adding the material layer by layer. It is reduced to 15%)
ideal for engineering applications like prototyping, Estimated Weight of the 3-D Printed UAV: 42 g
manufacturing tooling, etc. The printing methodology Estimated Time of 3-D Printing: 4 hours 2 minutes
adopted for fixed-wing UAV is Fused Deposition Modeling PLA Spool Parameters: 1.75 mm, 1044 g, white color
(FDM) Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm

Fig 34 : Fused Deposition Modelling

Fig 35 : ORIGINAL PRUSA I3 MK3

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Fig 36 : Slicing Using Ultimaker Cura

Fig 40 : Top View

9.2 3-D Printed Fixed-Wing UAV

Fig 41 : Underbody View

10. Fabrication of Fixed-Wing UAV

Fig 37 : Isometric View
The final design stage of the entire design guidelines is the
fabrication of the product. The 3-D printed prototype using
FDM technique was done for the representation purpose and
to highlight the features of the final fabricated part. In the
current stage, the actual fixed wing UAV will be fabricated by
the selection of appropriate lightweight materials,
components, etc. The main objective lies to manufacture the
Fixed-Wing UAV which meets the mission requirements i.e.,
commercial monitoring.
Fig 38 : Front View
10.1 Material Selection

1. Wood: The selection of the appropriate wood is the main

requirement for the construction fixed-wing UAV. Since, the
design weight of the UAV is around 0.7kg, so it is required
that the lightest material be selected. The selected material
should also have a greater strength to meet the structural
strength aspects and safety during flight.

Fig 39 : Side View The wood selected for the fabrication of the fixed-wing UAV
is Balsa Wood.
Balsa Wood Properties: -
• Lightest wood available for aeromodelling

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• Wood Type: Hardwood • Voltage: 11.1V

• Density: 120-220 kg/m3 • Dimensions: 23x34x106(mm)
• Color: White, yellow, pale straw, light brown • Charge Rate: 1-3C Recommended, 5C Max
• Elastic Modulus: 3.71 GPa

Advantages of balsa wood: -

• It is a high strength timber and extremely light in
weight.
• It is easy to cut (CNC or laser), shape and carve.
• Easily available in the form of sheets and blocks.
• It retains a lot of water, which increases its strength.

2. Covering Material: The covering material used for the Fig 43 : 2200 mAh LiPo Battery
fixed wing UAV are the corrugated sheets. They are also
known as coroplast/ fluted polypropylene sheets. They have 3. Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)
parallel hollow flutes which make them very light material It regulates the speed of the electric motor and can be
and strong. controlled by the transmitter by the user. It also converts the
These materials usually crush upon heavy impact instead of battery voltage down to 5V, which is required by the
breaking in the case of the thermo-foam or foam board. transmitter to work. This property is known as the Battery
These sheets can easily be formed into any shape or profile Elimination Circuit (BEC).
by certain amount of bending. These are available in various • Model: SIMONK 30A.
weights and colors. • Constant Current: 30A (Max 40A < 10 sec).
• BEC: 5V 2A.
10.2 Electrical Components • Suitable Batteries: 2-3S LiPo

1. Brushless Motor
The brushless motor is the powerplant of the fixed-wing
UAV. The brushless motor used is of the G-Power series and
runs at 1500 KV.
• Shaft Diameter: 4 mm
• Shaft Length: 49 mm
• Brushless DC motor
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 1200 g

Fig 44 : Electronic Speed Controller

4. Transmitter
The transmitter is the remote control of the fixed-wing UAV.
The selected configuration is of 2.4GHz frequency (band-
range) with 6-channel arrangement. The transmitter sends
the signal to the receiver which controls the
servomechanisms to move the control surfaces and turn on
and off the camera.
Fig 42 : 1500KV Brushless Motor
Transmitter Model: Fly-Sky CT6B 2.4GHz 6CH Transmitter

2. LiPo Battery
The Lithium Polymer battery is the power hub for the
propulsion system and other electrical components.
• Model No: ORANGE 2200/3S-30C
• Weight: 175.0g
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10.3 Component List for Fabrication

Fig 45 : Fly-Sky Transmitter

5. Receiver
It is an electronic device which uses the radio waves and
extract the useful information such as the movement of the
control surfaces, propulsion system and the camera function.
It receives the signals from the transmitters and send signals
to the servo motors for control surfaces and the ESC for the
motor control.
Receiver Model: Fly-Sky-R6B Receiver
10.4 Fixed-Wing UAV Wiring Diagram

Fig 46 : Fly-Sky Receiver

6. Servo Motors
The servo motors are used as the rotary actuator in the
fixed-wing UAV to move the control surfaces i.e., controlling
the movement of ailerons, elevator and rudder.
• Weight: 9 gm
• Operating voltage: 3.0V~ 7.2V

Fig 47 : SG-90 Servo Motor

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10.5 Final Fabricated Fixed-Wing UAV

Fig 51 : Side View

11. Fixed-Wing UAV Flight Testing

Fig 48 : Isometric View

Fig 49 : Front View

Fig 52 : Flight Testing-Cruising Flight

Fig 50 : Top View

Fig 53 : Image Captured by Fixed Camera

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12. Conclusions [2] Ram Gopal Lakshmi Narayanan, Oliver C., “Joint Network
for Disaster Relief and Search and Rescue Network
The report discusses about the detailed procedure for the Operations”, Wireless Public Safety Networks 1,2015.
development of the fixed wing UAV to meet its mission
[3] Pei-Hsiang Chung1, Der-Ming Ma2 and Jaw-Kuen Shiau2,
requirement i.e., commercial monitoring. It is well-known
Design, Manufacturing, and Flight Testing of an
that most of the UAV’s flying today are multi-rotor aircrafts,
Experimental Flying Wing UAV, 1Department of
commonly known as quadcopter or drones. However, this
Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering,
project highlights the advantages of the fixed wing UAV over
Tamkang University, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan,
the conventional multi-rotor systems.
2Department of Aerospace Engineering, Tamkang
The project begins with the discussions on the existing fixed-
University, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan.
wing design available in the global market. The mission
[4] Seyyed Khandani, “ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS”,
requirement is then specified, which is the commercial
Ph.D., Education Transfer Plan, August 2005.
monitoring (surveillance), and the project approach is
selected, flight dynamics approach. The details are then [5] Özgür Dündar, Mesut Bilici, TarıkÜnler, “Design and
highlighted on the design guidelines i.e., the design performance analyses of a fixed wing battery VTOL
methodology. The entire design and the fabrication of the UAV”, Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of
fixed-wing UAV is divided into three major design processes: Aeronautics and Aerospace, Aerospace Engineering
conceptual design, preliminary design, and the detail design. Department, 42090 Meram, Konya, Turkey.
In the conceptual design, sketch for the fixed-wing UAV was [6] Snorri Gudmundsson, “The Anatomy of the Wing”, BScAE,
developed, wing sizing and body sizing was performed. In MScAE, FAA DER(ret.), in General Aviation Aircraft,
the preliminary design, all the analytical and the Design, 2014.
computational work was performed, beginning with the [7] İbrahim Halil Güzelbey1, Yüksel Eraslan2, Mehmet Hanifi
aerodynamics calculations for the wing and the tail Doğru3, “Effects of Taper Ratio on Aircraft Wing
configuration, calculations for the longitudinal stability and Aerodynamic Parameters: A Comperative Study”,
control, iterative battery weight estimation and performance 1,2Aircraft and Aerospace Engineering
estimation. After all the design calculations, final stage is the Department/Gaziantep University, Turkey, 3Pilotage
detail design where the CAD model is generated, drafting Department/Gaziantep University, Turkey , İ.H.
sheets is prepared, structural analyses are performed. 3-D Güzelbey (0000-0002-4235-9746), Y. Eraslan (0000-
printing is performed to generate the porotype model. 0002-5158-5171), M.H.Doğru (0000-0001-6038-8308)
Finally, the fixed-wing UAV is fabricated after the proper
[8] John D. Anderson, Jr., “Introduction to Flight”, Curator for
selection of material and proper dimensioning, which
Aerodynamics, National Air and Space Museum,
justifies the scope of the project. The flight testing verifies
Smithsonian Institution and Professor Emeritus,
that the mission requirement has been met and it also
University of Maryland.
provides a proper justification to the report.
The highlights of the fixed-wing fabricated UAV are specified [9] John D. Anderson, Jr., “Fundamentals of Aerodynamics”,
below: - Curator of Aerodynamics National Air and Space
• Low cost Museum, Smithsonian Institution and Professor
• Better aerodynamic stability Emeritus, University of Maryland.
• High range and endurance [10] Dr. Subrahamanyam Saderla, “noc18-ae07 Lec 16 –
• Better photographic results Lecture 16: Iterative Weight Estimation and Wing
• Better control of flight parameters Sizing”, Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
• Higher flight safety [11] Dr. Subrahamanyam Saderla, “noc20-ae04-lec23 -
Lecture 23: Subroutine for Weight Estimation”,
13. References Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
[12] NPTEL Lectures, “Static Stability and Control - Elevator
[1] Gaurav Singhal, Babankumar Shyam Bansod, “Unmanned
Control power, Elevator Angle to trim and Estimation of
Aerial Vehicle Classification, Applications and
Stick Fixed Neutral Point”.
Challenges: A Review”, Indian Space Research
Organization.

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