Antarctic UAV Tier C Design

137 Pages·2006·4.31 MB·English

by  William Donovan

CReSIS UAV Preliminary Design Review:
The Meridian

William Donovan

University of Kansas
2335 Irving Hill Road
Lawrence, KS 66045-7612
http://cresis.ku.edu

Technical Report
CReSIS TR 125

June 25, 2007

This work was supported by a grant from the
National Science Foundation
(#ANT-0424589).
Executive Summary
This report describes the requirements development and preliminary design of three
candidate aircraft for use in the research of ice sheets. Preliminary sizing,
performance matching, configuration selection, Class I weight and balance, Class I
stability and control, and Class I drag analyses are included in this report for all three
designs. The design mission for this aircraft is to takeoff from a snow or ice runway,
fly to a designated area, then use low frequency radar to perform measurements of ice
sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. Three designs were developed:
• A Monoplane with Structurally Integrated Antennas
• A Monoplane with Antennas Hanging from the Wing
• A Biplane with Antennas Structurally Integrated Into the Lower Wing

i
Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation
under Grant No. AST-0424589. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.....................................................................................................i
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................ii
Table of Contents.......................................................................................................iii
List of Figures..............................................................................................................v
List of Tables..............................................................................................................vi
Nomenclature...........................................................................................................viii
Abbreviations.............................................................................................................ix
1 Science Rationale................................................................................................1
2 Requirements Definition and Development......................................................2
2.1 Stall Speed and Climb Performance.............................................................3
2.2 Aircraft Range...............................................................................................3
2.3 Takeoff and Landing Distances....................................................................8
2.4 Cruise Speed.................................................................................................9
2.5 Payload Requirements................................................................................10
2.6 Size Requirements......................................................................................12
2.7 Logistical Requirements.............................................................................13
2.7.1 Maintenance Requirements.................................................................13
2.7.2 Communications.................................................................................14
2.7.3 Regulations.........................................................................................14
2.7.4 Environmental Issues..........................................................................15
2.7.5 Special Operations Requirements.......................................................15
2.8 Requirements Summary..............................................................................16
3 Aircraft Survey..................................................................................................17
3.1 Aircraft Currently Used in Cold-Weather Research...................................17
3.1.1 Lockheed C130...................................................................................18
3.1.2 Lockheed P-3 Orion............................................................................19
3.1.3 DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter.........................................................20
3.2 Uninhabited Air Vehicles...........................................................................21
3.2.1 Similar Uninhabited Air Vehicles.......................................................24
3.3 Optionally Piloted Vehicle Concepts..........................................................29
4 Preliminary UAV Designs................................................................................32
4.1 Red Design..................................................................................................34
4.1.1 Preliminary Aircraft Sizing.................................................................34
4.1.2 Sensitivity Analysis............................................................................38
4.1.3 Performance Matching........................................................................38
4.1.4 Configuration Selection......................................................................40
4.1.5 Class I Weight and Balance................................................................64
4.1.6 Class I Stability and Control...............................................................70
4.1.7 Class I Drag Analysis..........................................................................73
4.1.8 Red Design Summary.........................................................................75
4.2 White Design..............................................................................................77
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4.2.1 Preliminary Aircraft Sizing.................................................................77
4.2.2 Sensitivity Analysis............................................................................80
4.2.3 Performance Matching........................................................................80
4.2.4 Class I Drag Analysis..........................................................................81
4.2.5 White Design Summary......................................................................84
4.3 Blue Design.................................................................................................86
4.3.1 Similar Aircraft...................................................................................86
4.3.2 Preliminary Aircraft Sizing.................................................................89
4.3.3 Sensitivity Analysis............................................................................92
4.3.4 Performance Matching........................................................................92
4.3.5 Configuration Selection......................................................................96
4.3.6 Class I Weight and Balance..............................................................108
4.3.7 Class I Stability and Control.............................................................113
4.3.8 Class I Drag Analysis........................................................................115
4.3.9 Blue Design Summary......................................................................118
5 Summary of Preliminary Designs..................................................................120
6 Conclusions and Recommendations..............................................................122
6.1 Ongoing Design........................................................................................122
6.1.1 Detailed Landing Gear Design..........................................................122
6.1.2 Engine Selection – Turboprop Variant.............................................123
7 References........................................................................................................125

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List of Figures
Figure 2.1: Map of Antarctica.......................................................................................4
Figure 2.2: Design Mission Profile.............................................................................17
Figure 3.1: Lockheed C130 Operating from Snow Runway [19]...............................18
Figure 3.2: Lockheed P-3 Orion on Ice Runway in Antarctica [20]...........................19
Figure 3.3: De Havilland Twin Otter Operating from Snow Runway [33]................21
Figure 3.4: Current Commercially Available UAVs [3, 12, 13]................................23
Figure 3.5: General Atomics Predator B [4]...............................................................25
Figure 3.6: General Atomic Predator [4]....................................................................25
Figure 3.7: Northrop Grumman E-Hunter [2].............................................................26
Figure 3.8 General Atomics I-Gnat [4].......................................................................26
Figure 3.9: AAI Shadow 200 [21]..............................................................................27
Figure 3.10: AAI Shadow 600 [21]............................................................................28
Figure 3.11: Geneva Aerospace Dakota UAV [22]....................................................28
Figure 4.1: Takeoff Weight Regression Plot for Similar Aircraft..............................35
Figure 4.2: Performance Matching Plot for Red Design............................................39
Figure 4.3: Preliminary Fuselage Layout for Red Design..........................................41
Figure 4.4: Engine Power...........................................................................................44
Figure 4.5: Engine Weight..........................................................................................45
Figure 4.6: Engine Power-to-Weight Ratio................................................................46
Figure 4.7: Red Design Wing Planform.....................................................................49
Figure 4.8: Lift-Curve-Slop for Clark Y Airfoil [8]...................................................51
Figure 4.9: Wing Lift Distribution for the Red Design..............................................55
Figure 4.10: Definition of V-Tail Planform Area [7].................................................57
Figure 4.11: V-Tail Planform Drawing for the Red Design.......................................58
Figure 4.12: Landing Gear Placement for Lateral Tip-Over Requirements...............62
Figure 4.13: Landing Gear Layout and Retraction Scheme for Red Design..............63
Figure 4.14: Three-View of Red Design.....................................................................68
Figure 4.15: Center of Gravity Excursion for the Red Design...................................69
Figure 4.16: Longitudinal X-Plot for the Red Design................................................71
Figure 4.17: Directional X-Plot for the Red Design...................................................72
Figure 4.18: Drag Polars for the Red Design..............................................................74
Figure 4.19: Lift-to-Drag Ratio for the Red Design...................................................74
Figure 4.20: Final Three-View of the Red Design.....................................................76
Figure 4.21: Takeoff Weight Regression for the White Design.................................78
Figure 4.22: Drag Polars for the White Design..........................................................83
Figure 4.23: Lift-to-Drag Ratios for the White Design..............................................83
Figure 4.24: Summary of the White Design...............................................................85
Figure 4.25: Aviat Pitts S-2C [17]..............................................................................87
Figure 4.26: Aviat Christen Eagle II [17]...................................................................88
Figure 4.27: Beech Model 17 (Staggerwing) [18]......................................................89
Figure 4.28: Takeoff Weight Regression Plot for Blue..............................................90
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Figure 4.29: Performance Matching Plot for Red Design..........................................95
Figure 4.30: Fuselage Layout for Blue Design...........................................................97
Figure 4.31: Wing Planform for Blue.......................................................................101
Figure 4.32: Span-wise Lift Distribution for the Blue Design..................................104
Figure 4.33: Empennage Planform for Blue.............................................................105
Figure 4.34: Landing Gear Layout for Blue.............................................................106
Figure 4.35: Lateral Tipover Criteria for Blue..........................................................107
Figure 4.36: Longitudinal Tipover and Ground Clearance Criteria for Blue...........107
Figure 4.37: Preliminary Arrangement of Blue Design............................................111
Figure 4.38: Center of Gravity Excursion for Blue..................................................112
Figure 4.39: Longitudinal X-Plot for the Blue Design.............................................114
Figure 4.40: Directional X-Plot for the Blue Design................................................115
Figure 4.41: Biplane Interference Factor [28]..........................................................116
Figure 4.42: Drag Polars for the Blue Design...........................................................117
Figure 4.43: Lift-to-Drag Ratios for the Blue Design...............................................118
Figure 5.1: Comparison of Fuel Usage for 3 Fine Scale Missions...........................121
Figure 5.2: Combined Takeoff Weight Regression Chart........................................121
Figure 6.1: CAD Model of Innodyn 165TE..............................................................124

List of Tables
Table 2.1: Mission Information for Fine, Local, and Regional Surveys......................6
Table 2.2: Aircraft Range Trade Study Based on Number of Flights Required...........6
Table 2.3: Summary of Airports in Antarctica [1]........................................................8
Table 2.4: Runways in Greenland [5]...........................................................................9
Table 2.5: Dimensions of Standard Shipping Containers [9].....................................13
Table 2.6: Summary of Design Requirements............................................................16
Table 3.1: Lockheed C130H Summary [14]...............................................................19
Table 3.2: Lockheed P-3C Orion Summary [14]........................................................20
Table 3.3: De Havilland Twin Otter-300 Summary [13]............................................21
Table 3.4: Summary of Similar Aircraft [3, 12, 13]...................................................24
Table 3.5: Optionally Piloted Vehicle Performance Summary [14]...........................30
Table 3.6: Additional Range Estimates for Crewed Aircraft......................................30
Table 4.1: Mission Fuel Fractions for Red Design.....................................................37
Table 4.2: Takeoff Weight Sensitivity Summary for the Red Design........................38
Table 4.3: List of Viable Engines [13]........................................................................42
Table 4.4: Wing Planform Summary for Red Design.................................................50
Table 4.5: Volume Coefficient Values for Existing Aircraft [7]................................57
Table 4.6: V-Tail Geometry Summary.......................................................................59
Table 4.7: Landing Gear Disposition Comparison.....................................................60
Table 4.8: Landing Gear Summary for the Red Design.............................................64
Table 4.9: Group Weight Data for Single Engine Propeller Driven Aircraft [6].......66
Table 4.10: Component Weight Breakdown for the Red Design...............................66
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Table 4.11: Class I Weight and Balance for Red Design...........................................67
Table 4.12: Weight and Balance Summary................................................................70
Table 4.13: Mission Fuel Fractions for the White Design..........................................79
Table 4.14: Takeoff Weight Sensitivity Summary for the White Design...................80
Table 4.15: Mission Fuel Fractions for Blue Design..................................................91
Table 4.16: Takeoff Weight Sensitivity Summary for the Blue Design.....................92
Table 4.17: Summary of Flap Trade Study for the Blue Design................................94
Table 4.18: Summary of Preliminary Sizing and Performance Matching for Blue....95
Table 4.19: Wing Planform Summary for Blue........................................................102
Table 4.20: Fuel Storage Comparison......................................................................103
Table 4.21: Empennage Summary for Blue..............................................................106
Table 4.22: Landing Gear Summary for Blue..........................................................108
Table 4.23: Weight Breakdown for the Blue Design................................................109
Table 4.24: Class I Weight and Balance for the Blue Design..................................110
Table 4.25: Class I Weight and Balance Summary for Blue....................................113
Table 5.1: Summary of Preliminary Design Concepts.............................................120

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Nomenclature
Symbol Description Units
AR Aspect Ratio ~
b Wing Span ft, in
c Wing chord ft, in
C Drag Coefficient ~
D
C Zero-Lift Drag Coefficient ~
D0
C Lift Coefficient ~
L
C Lift-Curve Slope Rad-1
Lα
c Specific Fuel Consumption Lbs/hp-hr
p
D Drag Lbs
D Propeller Diameter Ft
p
e Oswald’s Efficiency ~
f Equivalent Parasite Area Ft2
L Lift Lbs
M Munk’s Span Factor ~
n Number of Propeller Blades ~
p
P Engine Power hp
P Blade Power Loading hp/ft2
bl
R Range Nm
S Wing Area Ft2
S Wetted Area Ft2
Wet
W Empty Weight Lbs
E
W Fuel Weight Lbs
F
W Payload Weight Lbs
pay
W Takeoff Weight Lbs
TO
Γ Dihedral Angle Deg
α Angle of Attack Deg
ε Wing Twist Deg
η Wing Station ~

η Propeller Efficiency ~
p
σ Biplane Interference Factor ~
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Abbreviations
Abbreviation Description
CReSIS Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets
FAR Federal Aviation Regulations
NSF National Science Foundation
UAV Uninhabited Air Vehicle

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