Effect of velocity and angle of attack on the aerodynamics characteristics of a 3-D printed fixed-wing plane

Abstract The previously designed MEGANTARA V1.0 UAV is a fixed-wing plane had high-pressure zones and wake formation on its fuselage. This model had a 150 mm fuselage width and 1000 mm length. However, experimental aerodynamic study for flow visualization is necessitating better methods. To enhance the aerodynamics characteristics, MEGANTARA V 2.0 is developed. To study the aerodynamics of this new model, a 1:6 scale test model is fabricated using 3D printing with FDM and DLP technology. The study is conducted using AF100 subsonic wind tunnel with angles of attack (AOA) 0°, 9°, 12°, and 15°, and air velocity of 5 m s−1, 9 m s−1, 15 m s−1. Therefore, this research aims to visualize the flow on the MEGANTARA V2.0 with smoke and laser sheet visualization. Based on the experimental results, the new aerodynamic performance improved over its predecessor, particularly at lower AOAs and higher velocities, while the flow around the model with AOA 15° indicated stall or loss of lift.