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Abstract
Advanced airfoil design concepts and modern wing design methodology allow development of mission-tailored, customized wing for any new aerodynamic configuration. This is especially relevant for UAV wing design, where variety of mission specifications, multi-point design requirements and imposed non-aerodynamic constraints make it unpractical the use of existing wings in configuration evaluation process. The development efforts on UAV wing design should concentrate on the radical improvement of aircraft performance, provide improved payload carriage capabilities, ensure flight safety of air vehicles, their maneuverability, capability to perform in unfavorable weather conditions and comply with structural and internal volume constraints. IAI initiated development of in-house capabilities on UAV wing design in mid 80‘s, recognizing the principal differences between requirements for UAV operation and known types of air vehicles such as sailplanes and general aviation aircrafts. It was acknowledged, that for most cases, design of a new UAV wing is a practically unavoidable choice, that should be supported by the adequate engineering capabilities. The build-up of technological infrastructures at IAI included adoption of CFD tools, promotion of advanced design concepts and WT testing of airfoils and complete configurations. The first designs targeted subsonic, long endurance UAV, concentrating on development of thick, high-lift NLF sections. This was followed by variety of subsonic and transonic designs, including wings development for high altitude flight, application of swept NLF wing technology to design of subsonic/transonic wings, promotion of the concept of hybrid transonic/subsonic airfoils, design of transonic unswept NLF wings, development in the field of low Reynolds number aerodynamics and evaluation of Mini/Micro UAV wings. IAI experience on UAV wing design is outlined in this paper by presenting a number of specialized designs and discussing the rationale of their development. This is followed by definition of future development directions that might be considered for continuation efforts on development of UAV wings.
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References
- Drela, M., "Newton Solution of Coupled Viscous-Inviscid Multi-Element Airfoil Flow", AIAA 90-1470, AIAA Fluid Dynamics, Plasmodynamics and Laser Conference, Seattle, WA, June 1990.
- Drela, M., "A User‘s Guide to MSES V2.6", MIT Computational Aerospace Laboratory, May 1994.
- Koss, D., Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Design and Experimental Evaluation of High-Lift, Mild-Stall Airfoil", 12th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, June 1994.
- Koss, D. and Shepshelovich, M., "Design and Experimental Evaluation of Two-Element, High-Lift / Low-Drag, Long Endurance Airfoil", 35th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 1995.
- Koss, D., Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of Two-Element NLF Airfoils for Long Endurance Flight", 35th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, January 6-10, Reno, Nevada, 1997.
- Steinbuch, M., Marcus, B. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of UAV Wings - Subsonic Designs’, 41st Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 6-9, 2003.
- Nagel A., Steinbuch M. and Shepshelovich M., "Wing Concepts for Tactical UAV", 45th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 23-24, 2005.
- Marcus B., Sarid M. and Shepshelovich M., "Aerodynamics of Contaminated Wings", 45th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 23-24, 2005.
- Steinbuch, M., Koss, D. and Shepshelovich, M., "Wing Development for High Altitude Long Endurance Flight", 35th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 1995.
- Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of High Altitude Long Endurance Airfoils", 42nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exibit, Reno, NV, January 5-8, 2004.
- Steinbuch, M., Shepshelovich, M. and Tumin, A., "Laminarisation of Swept Wing - the Design Aspects, 36th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 1996.
- Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of UAV Wings - Transonic Design", 43rd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exibit, Reno, NV, January 10-13, 2005.
- Steinbuch, M., Marcus B. and Shepshelovich M., "The Concept of Hybrid Transonic-Subsonic Wings", 45th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 23-24, 2005.
- Levy, D.E., Marcus, B. and Shepshelovich, M., "Design of Micro / Mini UAV Wings", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004.
- Nagel, A., Sletean, M., Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Mini Truck-High Lift Mini UAV", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004.
- Nagel, A. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of High-Lift, Mild Stall Airfoils", 43rd Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 19-20, 2003.
- Nagel, A., Sletean, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of subsonic EX-airfoils", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004.
- Nagel A. and Shepshelovich M., "The concept of High-Lift, Mild Stall Wing", 24th international Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences, Yohogama, Japan, 29th August - 3rd September, 2004.
- Shepshelovich, M., "Aerodynamic concept of IAI long endurance UAV", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004
References
Drela, M., "Newton Solution of Coupled Viscous-Inviscid Multi-Element Airfoil Flow", AIAA 90-1470, AIAA Fluid Dynamics, Plasmodynamics and Laser Conference, Seattle, WA, June 1990.
Drela, M., "A User‘s Guide to MSES V2.6", MIT Computational Aerospace Laboratory, May 1994.
Koss, D., Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Design and Experimental Evaluation of High-Lift, Mild-Stall Airfoil", 12th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, June 1994.
Koss, D. and Shepshelovich, M., "Design and Experimental Evaluation of Two-Element, High-Lift / Low-Drag, Long Endurance Airfoil", 35th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 1995.
Koss, D., Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of Two-Element NLF Airfoils for Long Endurance Flight", 35th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, January 6-10, Reno, Nevada, 1997.
Steinbuch, M., Marcus, B. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of UAV Wings - Subsonic Designs’, 41st Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 6-9, 2003.
Nagel A., Steinbuch M. and Shepshelovich M., "Wing Concepts for Tactical UAV", 45th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 23-24, 2005.
Marcus B., Sarid M. and Shepshelovich M., "Aerodynamics of Contaminated Wings", 45th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 23-24, 2005.
Steinbuch, M., Koss, D. and Shepshelovich, M., "Wing Development for High Altitude Long Endurance Flight", 35th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 1995.
Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of High Altitude Long Endurance Airfoils", 42nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exibit, Reno, NV, January 5-8, 2004.
Steinbuch, M., Shepshelovich, M. and Tumin, A., "Laminarisation of Swept Wing - the Design Aspects, 36th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 1996.
Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of UAV Wings - Transonic Design", 43rd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exibit, Reno, NV, January 10-13, 2005.
Steinbuch, M., Marcus B. and Shepshelovich M., "The Concept of Hybrid Transonic-Subsonic Wings", 45th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 23-24, 2005.
Levy, D.E., Marcus, B. and Shepshelovich, M., "Design of Micro / Mini UAV Wings", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004.
Nagel, A., Sletean, M., Steinbuch, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Mini Truck-High Lift Mini UAV", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004.
Nagel, A. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of High-Lift, Mild Stall Airfoils", 43rd Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 19-20, 2003.
Nagel, A., Sletean, M. and Shepshelovich, M., "Development of subsonic EX-airfoils", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004.
Nagel A. and Shepshelovich M., "The concept of High-Lift, Mild Stall Wing", 24th international Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences, Yohogama, Japan, 29th August - 3rd September, 2004.
Shepshelovich, M., "Aerodynamic concept of IAI long endurance UAV", 44th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, February 25-26, 2004