Introduction to the Design of Fixed-Wing Micro Air Vehicles : Including Three Case Studies

by Mueller, Thomas J.; Kellogg, James C.; Ifju, Peter G.; Shkarayev, Sergey V.

• ISBN13: 9781563478499
• ISBN10: 1563478498
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Amer Inst of Aeronautics &

Summary

This intriguing book breaks new ground on an emerging subject that has attracted considerable attention: the use of unmanned micro air vehicles (MAVs) to conduct special, limited duration missions. Significant advances in the miniaturization of electronics make it now possible to use vehicles of this type in a detection or surveillance role to carry visual, acoustic, chemical, or biological sensors. Interestingly, many of the advances in MAV technology can be traced directly to annual student competitions, begun in the late 1990s, that use relatively low cost model airplane equipment. The wide variety of configurations entered in these contests and their ongoing success has led to a serious interest in testing the performance of these vehicles for adaptation to practical applications. MAVs present aerodynamic issues unique to their size and the speeds at which they operate. Of particular concern is the aerodynamic efficiency of various fixed wing concepts. Very little information on the performance of low aspect ratio wing planforms existed for this flight regime until MAVs became of interest and the proliferation of fixed wing designs has since expanded. This book presents a brief history of unmanned air vehicles and offers elements of aerodynamics for low aspect ratio wings. Propulsion and the basic concepts for fixed wing MAV design are presented, as is a method for autopilot integration. Three different wing configurations are presented in a series of step-by-step case studies. The goal of the book is to assist both working professionals and students to design, build, and fly MAVs, and do so in a way that will advance the state of the art and lead to the development of even smalleraircraft.

Author Biography

Thomas J. Mueller is the Roth-Gibson Professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Notre Dame James C. Kellogg is the Principal Investigator for the Naval Research laboratory's (NRL) micro air vehicle research Peter G. Ifju is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida Sergey V. Shkarayev is an Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arizona

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Overview of Micro-Air-Vehicle Development	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Historical Perspective	p. 4
Conclusion	p. 34
Acknowledgments	p. 34
References	p. 35
Elements of Aerodynamics, Propulsion, and Design	p. 39
Nomenclature	p. 39
Introduction	p. 41
Rigid Wings	p. 46
Flexible and Adaptive Wings	p. 65
Propulsion	p. 67
MAV Design Using Experimental Database	p. 97
Numerical Approach to MAV Design	p. 99
Conclusion	p. 101
Acknowledgments	p. 102
References	p. 103
Autopilot Integration into Micro Air Vehicles	p. 109
Nomenclature	p. 109
Introduction	p. 110
MAV Designs and Specifications	p. 115
Flight-Control System	p. 118
Stability and Control Design for Micro Air Vehicles	p. 121
Flight Testing	p. 141
Conclusion	p. 146
Appendix	p. 147
Acknowledgments	p. 148
References	p. 148
Case Study: Micro Tactical Expendable Rigid-Wing Micro Air Vehicle	p. 151
Nomenclature	p. 151
Introduction	p. 152
NRL and DARPA MAV Programs	p. 152
Development of the MITE Configuration	p. 153
Detailed Design of the MITE	p. 157
Flight Experimentation and Design Evolution	p. 172
Stability and Flight Control	p. 177
MITE Demonstrations and the Transition to the Dragon Eye UAV	p. 181
Conclusion	p. 181
Acknowledgments	p. 184
References	p. 184
Flexible-Wing Micro Air Vehicles	p. 185
Nomenclature	p. 185
Acronyms	p. 185
Introduction	p. 186
Description of the MAV	p. 190
MAV Fabrication Methods	p. 192
Wind-Tunnel Characterization of the Flexible Wing	p. 199
Modeling of Flexible Wings	p. 225
Flight Testing	p. 236
Conclusion	p. 239
Acknowledgments	p. 239
References	p. 239
Development of Micro Air Vehicles with in-Flight Adaptive Wing	p. 241
Nomenclature	p. 241
Introduction	p. 242
Conceptual Design	p. 245
Wind-Tunnel Testing	p. 251
Design of Adaptive-Wing MAVs	p. 261
Flight Testing	p. 270
Conclusion	p. 273
Acknowledgments	p. 274
References	p. 274
Summary	p. 277
Index	p. 281
Supporting Materials	p. 289
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