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Aerospace Engineering Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Aerospace Engineering

Design And Flight-Path Simulation Of A Dynamic-Soaring Uav, Gladston Joseph Jul 2021

Design And Flight-Path Simulation Of A Dynamic-Soaring Uav, Gladston Joseph

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

We address the development of a dynamic-soaring capable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) optimized for long-duration flight with no on-board power consumption. The UAV’s aerodynamic properties are captured with the integration of variable fidelity aerodynamic analyses. In addition to this, a 6 degree-of-freedom flight simulation environment is designed to include the effects of atmospheric wind conditions. A simple flight control system aids in the development of the dynamic soaring maneuver. A modular design paradigm is adopted for the aircraft dynamics model, which makes it conducive to use the same environment to simulate other aircraft models. Multiple wind-shear models are synthesized to …


An Investigation Of Dynamic Soaring And Its Applications To The Albatross And Rc Sailplanes, Christopher J. Lee Jun 2011

An Investigation Of Dynamic Soaring And Its Applications To The Albatross And Rc Sailplanes, Christopher J. Lee

Aerospace Engineering

Dynamic soaring is a technique used by the sea bird the Albatross. This technique allows for the bird to stay in the air for extended periods of time with very little effort. Dynamic soaring utilizes the wind gradient on the surface of the ocean to maintain its airspeed. A similar technique is used by RC glider pilots to achieve high speeds by using the shear wind layer on the leeward side of mountain ridges.