Aerodynamic design of a tactical Blended-Wing-Body UAV for the aerial delivery of cargo and lifesaving supplies

Abstract

The current study presents the aerodynamic design procedure of a tactical UAV, whose mission is to swiftly deliver several kilograms of cargo and lifesaving supplies at isolated territories and dispersed islands via airlift methods. The UAV is based on the Blended-Wing-Body configuration, since it combines a large available internal volume with high aerodynamic efficiency. The requirements of the system are briefly presented and a presentation of the design procedures and sizing tools is made, emphasizing on the preliminary design phase. A custom, integrated 3D aerodynamic analysis method is presented, as well as the CFD methodology that is employed to calculate the aerodynamic and stability coefficients. The configuration layout, aerodynamic optimization, internal layout, stability and control, airdrop, thermal management, performance assessment and proof of concept studies are all described, along with the corresponding low- and high-fidelity analysis tools. The unique aspects of the BWB cargo UAV configuration are discussed throughout the paper, which concludes with the results of the aerodynamic design and the corresponding conclusions.