Ducted Fan UAV Modeling and Simulation in Preliminary Design

With the emerging need for unmanned aerial vehicle with the capability to hover, the ducted-fan UAV design is becoming a more acceptable design option over the conventional rotorcraft design. The unique flight characteristics of such vehicles necessitate a design environment that is able to model and simulate the flight dynamics of ducted fan vehicles accurately. AVID OAV is a design and modeling software tool for ducted fan vehicles that is capable of modeling the performance and flight dynamics during the conceptual and preliminary phases of vehicle design. It incorporates a multidisciplinary methodology that encompasses the prediction of vehicle aerodynamics, fan and stator performance, mass properties calculation and control surface performance. Mission-based optimization and trade studies operating on the vehicle model can be used to explore the design space. The ability to model and simulate the flight characteristics early in the preliminary design phase provides the opportunity for the designer to make fundamental design decisions early on in the vehicle development program while reducing the potential of unexpected flight behavior later on.