HOVER PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF COAXIAL MINI UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE FOR APPLICATIONS IN MOUNTAIN TERRAIN

Abstract

Due to its compactness, agility, good hover performance, and ease of carriage, coaxial rotor Mini UAV is apt for various military and civilian applications in mountain terrain. This paper examines various factors to arrive at viable configurations of coaxial rotor Mini UAV for applications in mountain terrain. A consideration of the coaxial rotor Mini UAV to analyse the suitability for mountain terrain is presented. Coaxial rotor design is evaluated to assess the design requirements of mountain terrain. Various design parameters are analysed to arrive at viable design configurations for coaxial rotor Mini UAVs to operate in mountain terrain. Due to mechanical complexities, more than three blades per rotor for a small coaxial rotary wing aircraft is not recommended. The compact frame of the coaxial rotor Mini UAV is a key advantage, so rotor blades with a radius bigger than 1 m are not desirable. With a radius smaller than 1 m, a range of 0.9 m to 1.2 m, and an rotor speed between 900 RPM and 1200 RPM for 3-blade and 2-blade coaxial rotors, the Mini UAV offers a variety of options for applications in mountain terrain.