Research on Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in New Configuration

To study the aerodynamic characteristics of a new configuration unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a “quadrotor-missile” layout, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was used for computational analysis. An aerodynamic simulation model for the rotor was developed according to the momentum source method, and a numerical calculation model for the aerodynamic interference of the UAV was established based on hybrid grid technology. The aerodynamic interference characteristics between the rotor and the fuselage of the aircraft in hovering and forward flight states were simulated. The results showed that, in hovering flight, the interference between the rotor and fuselage will cause a decrease in rotor lift and an increase in power. In forward flight, rotor interference generates additional lift and drag on the fuselage, and its lift-to-drag ratio increases significantly with increasing forward flight speed. Fuselage interference will reduce both rotor lift and power in forward flight, and the effect becomes more pronounced as the forward flight speed increases. The lift of the rear rotor will first decrease and then increase, while the power will continue to increase.