Unique Stealth Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Houck Aircraft Design Program. Volume 1: Program Overview

摘要

This report will summarize the work performed to better understand the aerodynamics and potential benefits to using a biplane configuration with endplates in the aerodynamic regime experienced by a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Topics investigated include aerodynamic lift and drag, as well as a vehicle sizing study. Wind tunnel testing resulted in the conclusion that there is a substantial difference between positive and negative stagger; it also exposed a 'kink' in the lift curve of the biplane with endplates. Apparently this 'kink' has been in the literature for over 75 years, yet no direct reference to it or its source has been found. Results from 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional flow diagnostic techniques, as well as theoretical analyses are used to better understand these phenomena. Also provided is a mission- specific example of where the systems-level benefit (combined aerodynamic and structural/weight) of a biplane configuration with endplates exists after several iterations through a conceptual design and sizing process.