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Technical Paper

Non-Linear Dynamic Loads Due to the Landing Impact of a Joined-Wing UAV

2011-10-18
2011-01-2720
In this paper a method to evaluate ground loads due to the impact of a high aspect-ratio wing of an unmanned aircraft at landing is presented. The aircraft for which the loads are calculated - code named HAPD (High Altitude Performance Demonstrator) - is an unmanned aircraft under development at the Italian Aerospace Research Center. It is a scaled performance demonstrator of an 80m-wing span High-Altitude & Long Endurance Unmanned Aircraft, born as a risk mitigation project of its full scale parent. Its peculiar feature is a Joined-Wing configuration. The joined-wing configuration is a good compromise between high lift, low weight and low global flexibility when compared with a conventional configuration with the same aspect-ratio. HAPD configuration consists of a mainly straight Front Wing and a Rear Wing with negative sweep and dihedral angles. The junction location is at about 70% of the FW semi-span, which was chosen as the best location in the preliminary design phase.
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