Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
There is currently a lack of published data for the performance of multicopter unmanned aircraft system (UAS) vehicles, such as quadcopters and octocopters, often referred to collectively as drones. With the rapidly increasing popularity of multicopter UAS, there is interest in better characterizing the performance of this type of aircraft. By studying the performance of currently available vehicles, it will be possible to develop models for vehicles at this scale that can accurately predict performance and model trajectories. This paper describes a wind tunnel test that was recently performed in the U.S. Army's 7- by 10-ft Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. During this wind tunnel entry, five multicopter UAS vehicles were tested to determine forces and moments as well as electrical power as a function of wind speed, rotor speed, and vehicle attitude. The test is described here in detail, and a selection of the key results from the test is presented.
Keywords:
Aircraft Design, Testing and Performance; Aerodynamics
Type:
ARC-E-DAA-TN31096
,
American Helicopter Society (AHS) International Annual Forum and Technology Display; May 17, 2016 - May 20, 2016; West Palm Beach, FL; United States
Format:
application/pdf
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