Chapter 14

Design Analysis and Feedbacks

Chief Designer

Structural Aerodynamic Flight UAV Controllability

analysis analysis stability performance analysis

Payload function Mission success Cost

analysis analysis analysis

Figure 14.1. UAV analysis teams

Design
UAV Design Select UAV components Optimization
requirements configuration (wing, fuselage,
etc.)

Determine aircraft
cg (Xcg, Ycg, Zcg)
Analyze
aircraft
Determine aircraft
stability
cg range
(cgfor-cgaft,
cgtop-cgdown,
cgleft-cgright)

Analyze Determine aircraft

aircraft mass moment of
control inertia (Ixx, Iyy, Izz)

Figure 14.2. Feedbacks provided by cg and moment of inertia calculations

1
 Preliminary design phase
Start Weight estimation
Conceptual Design
Detail design phase

Landing Propulsion Design of

Wing Tail Fuselage
Matching plot gear system Autopilot Optimization
design design design
design design

Aircraft performance analysis Aircraft CDo Calculation

Aircraft stability analysis Aircraft cg calculation Weight Calculation

Aircraft controllability analysis Control surfaces design

Figure 14.3. Three major feedbacks in the UAV design process

Notes:

1. Loop 1: UAV performance analysis

2. Loop 2: UAV stability analysis
3. Loop 3: UAV controllability analysis

2
 y

cg

Figure 14.4. Definition of body-axis coordinate system

Ideal region for cg

acwf

0.25 MAC - Xfus

MAC

Figure 14.5. Ideal region for the cg location along x –axis

No Components Weight/Force Moment Moment

3
 arm
1 Wing
2 Fuselage
3 Tail
4 Engine
5 Fuel/battery
6 Autopilot
7 Navigation system
8 Communications system
9 Payloads (e.g., camera and radar)
10 Landing gear
11 Maximum wing-body lift
12 Minimum wing-body lift
13 Minimum wing-body aerodynamic pitching
moment
14 Maximum wing-body aerodynamic pitching
moment
15 Engine thrust
16 UAV drag
17 Maximum positive horizontal tail lift
18 Maximum negative horizontal tail lift
Sum
Table 14.1. Typical weight and balance table

No Requirements Stability derivatives Symbol Typical value

(1/rad)
1 Static longitudinal Rate of change of pitching moment Cm -0.3 to -1.5
α
stability coefficient with respect to angle of attack
2 Static directional Rate of change of yawing moment Cn +0.05 to +0.4
stability coefficient with respect to sideslip angle β

3 Static lateral stability Rate of change of rolling moment Cl -0.1 to -2

coefficient with respect to sideslip angle β

Table 14.2. Static longitudinal and lateral-directional stability requirements

4
Derivatives Typical values (1/rad)
All types of UAVs
Small fixed-wing UAV
(from UCAV to large UAV)
(at cruise)
Minimum Maximum
CD -0.01 +0.3 0
u

CL -0.2 +0.6 0
u

Cm -0.4 +0.6 0
u

CD +0 +2.0 0.1
α

CL +1.0 +8.0 4-5

α

Cm +0 -20 -0.5 to -1.5

α

CD ~ ~ 0
α̇

CL -5.0 +15.0 2
α̇

Cm +0 -20.0 -3 to -6
α̇

CD ~ ~
0
q

CL +0 +30.0
2 to 6
q

Cm 0 -90
-10 to -15
q

Table 14.3. Longitudinal stability and derivatives

Derivative Typical values (1/rad)
s
All types of UAVs Small fixed-wing UAV
(at cruise)
(from UCAV to large UAV)
Minimum Maximum
Cy -0.1 -2.0
-0.4
β

Cl +0.1 -0.4
-0.1
β

5
 Cn 0 +0.4
0.05 to 0.1
β

Cy -0.3 +0.8
-0.4
p

Cl -0.1 -0.8
-0.5
p

Cn -0.5 +0.1
-0.04
p

Cy 0 +1.2 0.2
r

Cl 0 +0.6 0.1
r

Cn 0 -1.0 -0.1
r

Table 14.4. Lateral-directional stability derivatives

Altitude
(ft)

50000 Absolute ceiling

(knot)
40000 Max speed
Stall limit

30000
Flight safety is guaranteed inside this
envelope.
20000

10000
Engine
temperature limit

100 200 300 400 500 600

Speed (knot)
Figure 14.6. A typical operational flight envelope

6
Derivatives Typical values (1/rad)
All types of UAVs
Small fixed-wing UAV
(from UCAV to large UAV)
(at cruise)
Minimum Maximum
C D e 0
~ ~

C L e 0.4
+0 +0.6

Cm e -1 to -2
+0 -4.0

Cy ~ ~ 0
δa

Cl 0 +0.4 0.2
δa

Cn -0.08 +0.08 -0.03

δa

Cy 0 +0.5 0.2
δr

Cl -0.04 +0.04 0.01

δr

Cn 0 -0.15 -0.05
δr

Table 14.5. Typical values for longitudinal, lateral and directional control derivatives

Aerial
filming, Cruise
surveillance Climb

Descend

Take-off
Landing

7
 Figure 14.7. Main operations in a typical flight

Figure 14.8. NASA UAV for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing (DAST) program

Figure 14.9. NASA HiMAT UAV

8
 Obstacle

6.39

8m

Figure 14.10. UAV and the obstacle

Percent

100%

Cost incurred

Ease of change in design

Design progress

9
 Figure 14.11. Status of cost and ease of change in design during design progress

No Procure Ops Test System Cost

1 Airframe Unit Cost - Baseline $ 133,671
2 Avionics - Baseline $ 149,047
3 Propulsion - Baseline $ 40,601
4 EO/IR sensor - Baseline $ 268,268
5 Communications relay $ 131,301
6 AIS $ 7,851
7 GCS - Ship $ 392,054
8 Launcher - Ship $ 236,050
9 Recovery - Ship $ 236,050
10 Peculiar support equipment per system $ 69,624
11 EO/IR surface detect system $ 75,000
12 Remove video terminal for boarding team (1) $ 10,000
13 Initial spares $ 174,952
14 Standard work stations $ 16,800
One ship system with 1 aircraft $ 1,936,473
Table 14.6. Cost of sUAS equipment deployed aboard one coast guard cutter

No Aircraft and Related Systems Cost

($ in million)
1 MQ-1B / MQ-1C Predator/Gray Eagle 308.1
2 MQ-9 Reaper 1,053.1
3 RQ-4 / MQ-4C Global Hawk/Triton/NATO AGS 1,213.6
4 RQ-7/RQ-11/ RQ-20/RQ-21 Shadow, Raven, Puma, and Blackjack 522.4
Table 14.7. Acquisition cost of some sUAS for FY 2017

10