Morphing Wing UAV

Discipline: MAE

Advisor: Ahmet Ozbay

The purpose of this senior design project is to design, build, and fly a UAV with improved aerodynamic efficiency, potentially reducing operating costs for commercial and military aircraft. This goal will be accomplished by designing a morphing wing UAV to determine the advantages, or potential disadvantages this design offers over traditional wings, both of which will be tested at the end of this project. The performance will be measured by efficiency through UAV’s endurance and energy consumption. Morphing wings, in theory, create less induced drag than traditional flaps; this allows the UAV to fly for a longer period of time, or consume less energy during the same period of flight when compared to a traditional wing and allows for a higher maneuverability of the aircraft. Many delivery companies will soon enter the airspace. Having UAVs that are more fuel efficient will be vital to the cost for these companies. In addition, morphing effects would allow defensive aircraft to have sharper turns and quicker movements. Morphing aircraft will benefit society with cheaper air travel, lower transportation costs, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. Overall, morphing provides more reliable aircraft operations during adverse weather or complex missions.

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