EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF BLENDED WING BODY UAS WITH VTOL CONFIGURATION

Abstract

The present study looked into the aerodynamic properties of blended-wing-body (BWB) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities (VTOL). The UAS's innovative design allows for VTOL and hovering capabilities similar to multi-copter drones, as well as cruise flying efficiency comparable to fixedwing aircraft in an effective and dependable manner. The creation of lift by the complete airframe and the decrease of drag in the wing body attachment are benefits of the BWB concept. Based on the calculated wing parameters, a baseline design was developed in XFLR5 and few parameters like sweep, dihedral and twist were varied continuously to obtain the most efficient design. The maximum L/D ratio obtained was 17 and calculated stall velocity was 12 m/s. The final design was then developed in CATIA and plane maker, and flight test was performed in X-Plane 11. By constructing parts out of Styrofoam and aluminum rod, a model was created. Four motors were used for vertical take-off and an electronic ducted fan was used for forward thrust. Pixhawk 4 was used as flight controller. The flight test was performed in three different modes: pure fixed wing, pure quad and hybrid VTOL mode. Initially, the fixed wing and quad mode test were performed individually. Then quad mode was enabled in the fixed wing configuration and transition from VTOL to fixed wing was performed. This report can serve as a comprehensive resource for learning about aerodynamic phenomena, fundamental design concepts, and fabrication techniques.