Development of a quadplane

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a type of aircraft that can be controlled remotely without an operator onboard, and it is versatile in their applications. With the growing demand for UAVs, the market has developed an interest in hybrid Vertical-Take-off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs due to their enhanced performance and capabilities. This project covers the development and the feasibility of a novel UAV configuration, which is a fusion of a standard Quadcopter with a Fixed-wing UAV. This hybrid vehicle aims to tackle the limitations of a standard dual-system UAV by mounting the VTOL motors at a prescribed angle, which allows the UAV to achieve both forward flight and vertical take-off with the highest efficiency. To determine the feasibility of the novel Quadplane configuration, flight tests were conducted on the physical prototype and 3DOF Simulink simulation models were developed. Through the flight tests, the performance of the Quadplane was analysed under different operating conditions with the variation of the flight speed and motor thrust. The capabilities of the Quadplane for cruise and transition phases of flight were determined through the Simulink simulation model. Lastly, a performance analysis was carried out for the novel Quadplane configuration in comparison with a standard Quadcopter to validate the enhanced performance that the configuration brings. Overall, the results show that satisfactory trim for the novel Quadplane configuration can only be achieved with rotor control. The application of aerodynamic control through the tail deflection was found to be unsatisfactory and it can be attributed to the interference of the motors. Further studies can be carried out for the novel Quadplane configuration, such as validating the performance of the configuration through a 6DOF model and enhancing the capabilities of the Quadplane by implementing tilt mechanisms.