Aerodynamic performance of a remotely piloted vehicle

Abstract

An experimental investigation and computer simulation have been made to obtain the aerodynamic characteristics of a remotely piloted vehicle (RPV), USM eFA-1. In the present study, the aerodynamic investigations are carried out on a USM eFA-1 RPV. The computational analysis is made on a three-dimensional model of RPV using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) commercial package FLUENT 6.0. The experimental investigations are carried on a scale model and tested in an open circuit wind tunnel. The investigations have been carried out at three different Reynolds Numbers, i.e. 1.05 x 105, 1.26 x 105 and 1.60 x 105, at different angles of attack. The results show that the lift and drag coefficients increase with increase in the angle of attack. The maximum lift coefficient that can be achieved by the RPV is 0.888 and the minimum drag coefficient is 0.037. The stall angle occurs at angle of attack of =14°. The simulation result shows fairly good agreement with the experimental result. The results provide an aerodynamic database of the USM eFA-1 RPV for future use.