Design and Initial Construction of a Composite RPV (Remotely Piloted Vehicle) for Flight Research Applications

摘要

A remotely piloted vehicle, similar to the U.S. Navy's Pioneer RPV, was designed and initial construction implemented for the purpose of establishing an RPV flight research program at the Naval Postgraduate School. The RPV will be used to investigate the Wortmann FX63-137 airfoil for low Reynolds applications, testing airborne avionic devices, investigate new aerodynamic phenomena of interest to NAVAIR, and serve as a transition trainer for future RPVs. Constructed primarily of composite materials, the vehicle will provide the opportunity to conduct real time/in-flight composite structural analysis. Additionally, the opportunity of using an RPV in their research will provide the students of the Naval Postgraduate School with a unique capability limited to very few universities throughout the country. (JES)