Citation: Nugroho, G.; Hutagaol,
Y.D.; Zuliardiansyah, G.
Aerodynamic Performance Analysis
of VTOL Arm Configurations of a
VTOL Plane UAV Using a
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Simulation. Drones 2022, 6, 392.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
drones6120392
Academic Editors: Andrzej
Łukaszewicz, Wojciech Giernacki,
Zbigniew Kulesza, Jaroslaw Pytka
and Andriy Holovatyy
Received: 7 November 2022
Accepted: 30 November 2022
Published: 2 December 2022
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Article
Aerodynamic Performance Analysis of VTOL Arm
Configurations of a VTOL Plane UAV Using a Computational
Fluid Dynamics Simulation
Gesang Nugroho *, Yoshua Dwiyanson Hutagaol and Galih Zuliardiansyah
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada,
Yogyakarta 55284, Indonesia
* Correspondence: gesangnugroho@ugm.ac.id
Abstract:
A vertical take-off and landing plane (VTOL plane) is a fixed-wing unmanned aerial
vehicle (FWUAV) configuration with the ability to take off and land vertically. It combines the
benefits of fixed-wing and multirotor configurations, which gives it a high cruising range and
independence from a runway. This configuration requires arms as mountings for the VTOL’s motors.
This study discusses the design of a VTOL Plane with various VTOL arm configurations, and a
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was conducted to find out which configuration
performs the best aerodynamically. The VTOL arm configurations analyzed were a quad-plane, a
twin-tail boom, a tandem wing, and a transverse arm. The interpreted performances were the lift and
drag performances, stall conditions, flight efficiency, stability, and maneuverability. The relative wind
directions toward the longitudinal axis of the UAV, which are the sideslip angle and the angle of
attack, were varied to simulate various flying conditions. The results showed that the twin tail-boom
is the most advantageous based on the interpreted performances.
Keywords: VTOL plane UAV; VTOL arm configuration; computational fluid dynamics
1. Introduction
As the development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology is becoming rapid,
new demands from countless fields are emerging due to its advantages of having small
dimensions, low operating cost, and minimal risk to the environment and human life.
UAVs are already commonly used in the military [
1
]. Furthermore, they have a promising
future in forestry [
2
], medical [
3
], and meteorology [
4
]. Ever-growing demands mean that
UAVs need to be developed in a variety of shapes and sizes to satisfy and achieve limitless
kinds of mission.
Despite being relatively new entrants to the airspace, UAVs have already come in a
variety of configurations. UAVs are generally classified into two configurations, namely
rotary-wing and fixed-wing. Each configuration has its advantages and disadvantages. A
vertical take-off and landing plane (VTOL plane) is a combination of those two configu-
rations, affording the benefit of high cruising range and efficiency from a fixed wing and
the capability of taking off and landing in a limited area from a rotary wing [
5
]. VTOL
Planes are ideal for usage in a remote area, rough terrain, or a vast body of water, making it
excellent for application to monitoring and surveillance.
Numerous design concepts for VTOL plane UAVs are available, such as a fixed-wing
VTOL and a tiltrotor. The main difference between the two is how the UAV transitions
from the VTOL phase to the cruising phase, and vice versa. However, the tiltrotor concept
uses a complicated mechanism to change the orientation of the rotors with a control system
too complex to be used as a design reference. On the other hand, the fixed-wing VTOL is
simpler to manufacture and operate, making it easier to develop and expand further.
Drones 2022, 6, 392. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6120392 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/drones