Performance, Stability and Control of UAVs

1 Course Unit

This course covers the application of classical aircraft performance and design concepts to fixed-wing and rotary-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). A survey of the latest developments in UAV technology will be used to motivate the development of quantitative mission requirements, such as payload, range, endurance, field length, and detectability. The implications of these requirements on vehicle configuration and sizing will be revealed through application of the fundamentals of aerodynamics and propulsion systems. The course will also cover basic flight dynamics and control, including typical inner-loop feedback applications. Fall 1 Course Unit