Figure 2: UAV Design process and activities
Design Process
Flight Control Design Process
Figure 3: UAV design process related to flight control system design
Figure 3: UAV design process related to flight control system design
This flowchart shows the steps required to assist in the design of a control system that will
give good flight responses and precise tracking of the UAV’s motions, manoeuvrability and
waypoints guidance and control. The aerodynamics, stability and control derivatives are
required to evaluate the UAV’s responses which initially could be estimated using semi-
empirical methods and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). However, the measurement 47
of
the aerodynamics, stability and control derivatives of the UAV using wind tunnel testing is
more reliable and accurate. As such the wind tunnel test of the airframe is simply a must in