Module 2, Lesson 7 - Common UAS Configuration- Fixed Wing

Module 2, Lesson 7 - Common UAS Configuration- Fixed Wing

Common UAS Configuration- Fixed Wing 

Fixed-wing UAS are well suited to perform aerial surveillance, basic mapping, search and rescue, and precision agriculture. 

Multiple Select

Select two advantages of a fixed-wing UAS.

• Can travel long distances

• Does not require a runway or some other means to launch and recover a moving aircraft

• Good for long-duration flights

• Does not require a system to get airborne and land without damaging the vehicle

Common UAS Configuration- Hybrid Flight

A hybrid UAS combines Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability of a multirotor with the flight efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft, enabling heavier payloads and increased flight duration. Once lift is achieved, some or all the rotors shut down or rotate to a horizontal position where they produce forward thrust for the vehicle. 

Common UAS Configuration- Fixed Wing Flight

Multiple Choice

Pusher

• Propeller is in the rear ,allows an unobstructed view for forward-looking sensors

• Propeller is in the front

• The horizontal tail is positioned near the nose of the aircraft ,the wing is near the tail

• No fuselage or horizontal/vertical tails required, one of the simplest aircraft to build

Multiple Choice

Canard

• Propeller is in the rear ,allows an unobstructed view for forward-looking sensors

• The horizontal tail is positioned near the nose of the aircraft ,the wing is near the tail

• Propeller is in the front

• No fuselage or horizontal/vertical tails required, one of the simplest aircraft to build

Multiple Choice

Tractor

• Propeller is in the rear, allows an unobstructed view for forward-looking sensors

• No fuselage or horizontal/vertical tails required, one of the simplest aircraft to build

• The horizontal tail is positioned near the nose of the aircraft, the wing is near the tail

• Propeller is in the front

Multiple Choice

Flying Wing

• Propeller is in the rear, allows an unobstructed view for forward-looking sensors

• No fuselage or horizontal/vertical tails required, one of the simplest aircraft to build

• The horizontal tail is positioned near the nose of the aircraft ,the wing is near the tail

• Propeller is in the front

A flying wing UAS has only two control surfaces, called elevons, which are trailing edge control surfaces that can be moved symmetrically or individually or up or down. 

Multiple Choice

Why is the cost of the vehicle and maintenance of hybrid UAS higher than a fixed-wing or multirotor?

• The vehicle and flight control system are more complex because it has to carry the extra weight of the critical lift propulsion system and a power source.

• The vehicle and flight control system require a higher number of components because they are combining two vehicles.

• The parts for this vehicle are more expensive and harder to maintain because it is a rare type of UAS.

Multiple Select

Select the axis that the elevons control. (Check all that apply)

• Pitch Axis

• Yaw Axis

• Roll Axis