Tactical UAV Flight Performance Estimation and Validation

Abstract

The information presented in this paper describes the procedure for flight performance estimation of a single pusher-propelled Tactical unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight test verification of its results. The aerodynamic data has been obtained from several sources and integrated into the flight mechanics equations of motion for a typical unmanned aerial vehicle configuration to provide a sufficient basis for estimating flight performance. Subsequently, the development of the UAV’s flight performance equation is described. The implemented numerical method is a proven standard in the aircraft industry and should produce reliable results with deviations up to 10 %. Finally, flight tests have been conducted to validate the performance estimation results.