Methodology for Conceptual Design of HALE UAV for Coastal Surveying

Abstract

UAVs have been increasingly used in recent years in numerous domains due to their adaptability and versatility. The goal of the present study is to propose a methodology for the conceptual design of a HALE UAV for coastal surveying using analytical tools. The conceptual design stage is divided into four different phases namely, drag estimation, initial sizing, constraint analysis, and wing and tail mass estimation. The results obtained from the code were validated against an existing HALE UAV - Global Hawk RQ- 4A and were found to be in good agreement. Based on the results obtained in each of the individual modules, a design of HALE UAV was proposed for coastal surveying of the Indian subcontinent.