Center Aerodynamics – Newsletter 15
Editorial
Aircraft Design to Specs, Time and Cost
Dear reader,
It is an exceptional
and rather seldom
experience in the
lifetime of an aero-
space engineer to
receive the chance
to design a new air-
craft from scratch. Therefore the opportu-
nity to head the full aerodynamic design of
a tactical UAS (unmanned aerial system)
was proudly welcomed.
Based on detailed handbook methods and
the close input from the structural and sys-
tem groups, a preliminary design was se-
lected. In a very short time, a wind tunnel
model in the scale of 40% was designed
and manufactured. Wind tunnel tests pro-
vided valuable insight for further design re-
finement and increased the confidence lev-
el of the initial layout work.
In our recent activities, you can see yet an-
other example of our involvement in race
car testing for Mygale Formula 3 as well as
our most recent publications covering both
experimental and numerical aerodynamics.
Enjoy our second newsletter of 2007.
Please fell free to contact us for further in-
formation regarding our services.
Sincerely,
Michel Guillaume
Head Center Aerodynamics
Next to the RUAG Aerodynamics Center core competences in subsonic wind tunnel testing for the aerospace and automotive industry,
additional design and engineering skills complement our portfolio to support the development of customer projects. As illustrated by
this article, the Center’s work scope widely outreaches the field of testing. The article describes the aerodynamic development of an air-
borne vehicle for a reconnaissance UAS, which was entirely completed within the Center Aerodynamics.
Preliminary Sizing
Starting with the customer’s mission specification, summarizing the major technical demands and the applicable certification standards, the
preliminary sizing is performed. The preliminary sizing gives a first indication as to the viability of the aircraft concept. It is based on a
matching plot and estimation for the aircraft take-off weight. The matching plot allows the definition o