Keywords
performance characteristics, UAV, unmanned aircraft
Abstract
Flight testing methods are developed to find the drag polar for small unmanned aerial vehicles powered by electric motors with fixed-pitch propellers. Wind tunnel testing was used to characterize the propeller-motor efficiency. The drag polar was constructed using data from flight tests. This drag polar was then used to find the following performance parameters: maximum velocity, minimum velocity, velocity for maximum range, velocity for maximum endurance, maximum rate of climb, maximum climb angle, minimum turn radius, maximum turn rate, and maximum bank angle. The developed flight testing methods are used to characterize the performance of a small UAV.
Original Publication Citation
Jon N. Ostler, W. Jerry Bowman, Deryl O. Snyder, and Timothy W. McLain. "Performance Flight Testing of Small, Electric Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles". International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles, Volume 1, Number 3, 2009.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Ostler, Jon N.; Bowman, W. Jerry; Snyder, Deryl O.; and McLain, Timothy W., "Performance Flight Testing of Small Electric Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" (2009). Faculty Publications. 1528.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/1528
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2009-9
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/3409
Publisher
Multi-Science Publishing
Language
English
College
Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Copyright Status
Ostler, J., Bowman, J., Snyder, D., and McLain, T. Performance Flight Testing of Small Electric Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 155-171, September 2009. DOI: 10.1260/175682909789996177
Copyright Use Information
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/