Integrated design, optimization and flight-test validation of a class I mini unmanned aerial vehicle
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Date
2026-07-08
Authors
Νικολάου, Ελευθέριος
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Abstract
This doctoral thesis presents the comprehensive design, analysis, optimization, and experimental validation of a Class I mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), developed within a unified multidisciplinary engineering framework. The research addresses the inherent complexity of small-scale UAV design, where aerodynamic, structural, propulsion, stability, control, and thermal management considerations are strongly coupled, particularly under low-Reynolds-number operating conditions.
The study begins with the definition of mission requirements and system-level specifications, followed by a structured design process encompassing conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design stages. Particular emphasis is placed on the identification of research gaps in current UAV design methodologies, notably the lack of integrated approaches tailored to mini-UAV configurations and the limited availability of subsystem-specific optimization frameworks.
To address these challenges, the thesis develops and implements a suite of advanced methodologies. These include a dedicated aerodynamic and geometric design approach for V-tail configurations, a surrogate-based optimization framework for winglet design, and a multi-fidelity aerodynamic optimization strategy for wing and airfoil development. In addition, a coupled aerostructural optimization methodology is proposed for composite wing structures, alongside a novel integrated approach for the design and optimization of internal cooling ducts, combining analytical modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and surrogate modeling techniques.
The proposed methodologies are applied to the design of a complete UAV platform. High-fidelity numerical tools, including CFD and finite element modeling (FEM), are systematically combined with lower-fidelity methods to achieve an optimal balance between computational efficiency and predictive accuracy. The resulting aircraft is evaluated through detailed aerodynamic, structural, propulsion, performance, and stability analyses.
A prototype vehicle is manufactured and subjected to an extensive flight-test campaign. Experimental results demonstrate that the UAV meets the defined mission and performance requirements, exhibiting satisfactory aerodynamic efficiency, stability characteristics, and overall flight behavior. Furthermore, a strong correlation is observed between computational predictions and flight-test data, particularly in cruise and climb conditions, thereby validating the proposed design and optimization framework.
In conclusion, this work establishes a robust, multi-fidelity, and optimization-driven methodology for the design of mini-UAVs, bridging the gap between theoretical development and practical implementation. The contributions of this thesis provide both a validated UAV platform and a generalizable framework for future research and development in small-scale unmanned aircraft systems.
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Keywords
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Aircraft design, Multidisciplinary design, Conceptual design, Preliminary design, Detailed design, V-tail, Aerodynamic design, Structural design, Aerostructural optimization, Surrogate-based optimization, Multi-fidelity optimization, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD), Finite element method (FEM), Stability and control, Flight testing, Experimental validation