COANDA FLIGHT CONTROLS

摘要

Coanda is a disk shaped airspace platform with VTOL capability currently under development and which forms part of a system intended for safe operation in civil Urban Area Management (UAM). UAM using UAVs presents enormous engineering challenges, which are unlikely to be met using conventional aircraft platforms, ref. Coanda is just part of a system concept embracing above all safe, acceptable operation in urban areas. The system concept includes low cost autonomous local area navigation capability, remote mission instruction and terrain observation by cellular telephone technology. Launch and recovery sites may be fixed or mobile and require as little as one square meter area or less with facilities for electrical stored energy transfer. Flag pole launch and recovery is a possibility. There is a long way to go but first things first―Coanda Flight Controls. This paper presents the preliminary results of experimental work conducted to date on the Coanda airspace platform concept as detailed in an earlier paper, ref. Specifically, this paper documents experiments on airflow over the airframe upper surface, lift trials, motor torque cancellation and airframe vertical axis attitude control (steering). Horizontal attitude control and lateral propulsion have yet to be investigated. Data on Coanda airflow, air accelerator (Compeller) design, Director (rudder) design and construction, measured results of air flow and power requirements are included.