3 quick questions, if I may please guys ……………..
My first question regards the well known SHADOW 200 & 400 UAV platforms: keeping in mind the air drag, weight/size and flight characteristics of this type of platform, could someone please indicate a typical motor power-range (i.e. min/max) requirement?
Would, say 100 – 150watts per pound sound sufficient for model of this type?
Second question regards Flying/Blended Wing type UAV platforms: I have seen quite a few foam type flying/blended wing RC models on the market – just how well can models like these, be scaled up e.g. lets take for example Multiplex’s XENO – with its 1245mm wingspan – ignoring structural considerations (as a foam model), could, or would this type of model/design scale up to say, around 3000mm (wingspan)?
My last question is a comparitive type question - comparing Flying/blended wings to what we term as conventional type airframes:
- as a very general rule: do flying/blended wings require more, or less motor power per pound weight, to fly, than do so-called "conventional" airframes. Yes, I appreciate that things like prop efficiency, wing chord, dyhedral, profile etc etc ..... will all have an impact to some or other degree if 2 models of equal weight/mass are placed side by side - all I am trying to get at this stage is an overall/general understand of the 2 types, comparitively speaking.
Thanx guys
Replies
The only rule applicable here is less wetted area -> less drag. All other things being equal, a lifting body has less 'redundant' surface area and thus less drag.
That being said, there are so many variations and so many other factors in play that in practice this is more or less meaningless.
100w/lb is sufficient for UAV flight
Scaling up planes is fine as long as you realise that everything is scaled (and sometimes that isn't linear).
As for the difference between the frames you should look at wing loading to see the difference for flight but thats is on your model choice.