Novel Airframe Design for the Dual-Aircraft Atmospheric Platform Flight Concept

<p>A high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial airframe was designed for the innovative Dual-Aircraft Atmospheric Platform flight concept that exploits stratospheric wind velocity gradients to remain aloft indefinitely. Classical aircraft preliminary design techniques and high-fidelity tools were used to establish a baseline configuration.</p> <p>Performance characteristics of numerous airfoil profiles were evaluated with two-dimensional flow software in an effort to determine the best-candidate airfoil for the unique application. Vortex-Lattice method tools were used to investigate the sensitivity of three-dimensional design parameters upon overall vehicle aerodynamic performance and determine both static and dynamic stability characteristics of the airframe. Performance capabilities of the finalized airframe are demonstrated in a flight envelope diagram with applied gust loads per the Federal Aviation Regulations. The innovative tandem-wing design exhibits exceptional performance characteristics required for the flight concept.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Year

2012

Author dc:creator

• McKee, Eric Michael

• airframe
• dual-aircraft
• atmospheric
• Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
• Aerospace Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.erau.edu/edt/104

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.erau.edu:edt-1103