Design of Multi-Rotor Flying Wing Configuration Quadplane Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Abstract

Aerial reconnaissance is one of the most prominent applications of UAVs. This research paper elaborates on the complete design lifecycle of a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with a Flying Wings configuration, specifically aimed at surveying agricultural areas. Innovative methodologies, such as geometric twist and proverse yaw, are employed for sizing and determining the aircraft's parameters. Airfoil selection and the assessment of aerodynamic properties are conducted using XFLR5, with subsequent validation through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis in Ansys Fluent 2022. This research integrates cutting-edge technologies and non-traditional approaches to enhance the precision and efficiency of agricultural surveying, making significant contributions to the field of precision agriculture. An extensive literature review and multiple design iterations were undertaken to create a novel design that resulted in an optimized, innovative, and practical product.