Investigations of Lift and Drag Performances on Neo-Ptero Micro UAV Models

This paper presents the investigation and improvement of lift and drag characteristics of Neo-Ptero micro-UAV models based on the virtual wind tunnel method. Despite its successful development and flight stability, the lift and drag coefficients characteristics of the current Mark 1 Neo-Ptero remain unknown. To improve the Mark 1 Neo-Ptero performances, Mark 2 Neo-Ptero model has given a new unsymmetrical airfoil wing configuration. The computational aerodynamic analysis was executed and focused on certain lift and drag coefficient characteristics. Lift coefficient results showed that Mark 2 improved in overall lift characteristics such as zero-lift angle, maximum lift magnitude and stall angle magnitude. Conversely, Mark 2 model suffered a slightly higher drag coefficient magnitude and more significant drag increment percentage than Mark 1. However, the trade-off between superior lift magnitude and minor drag generation induced by Mark 2 boosts the model’s aerodynamic efficiency performances but is only limited at early angle stages.