Airframe Structural Materials for Drone Applications
Abstract:
A wide variety of materials have been included, corresponding to the wide range of vehicle speeds being considered. For subsonic airframe structures, candidate materials considered range from polyester- impregnated paper and wood to titanium and the high-performance, filament-reinforced composites. The airframe of five representative subsonic cruise vehicle configurations and three supersonic vehicles are analyzed in detail. Fuselage, wing, tail, and engine nacelle structural components are individually considered. Nine different material combinations are evaluated for the subsonic vehicle components, and eight for the supersonic vehicle components. For the subsonic vehicles, airframe total weights ranging from a decrease of 36 compared to a conventional aluminum alloy structure are indicated. Cost factors of the materials are discussed.