Designing Unmanned Aircraft Systems: A Comprehensive Approach (Aiaa Education Series)

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are revolutionizing the way we explore our global environment. Whether it's to monitor severe weather events or used in a military operation, these machines and the components that operate them are changing the way we approach flight. In his book, Designing Unmanned Aircraft Systems: A Comprehensive Approach, Jay Gundlach investigates all elements of UAS design, including architectural options, and design drivers across diverse systems classes. As the most authoritative single reference on UAS design, the book provides readers a solid understanding of the end-to-end unmanned aircraft system and gain a deeper appreciation for the multidisciplinary nature of UAS design. Topics Discussed Approach for developing competitive, balanced unmanned aircraft systems through a multidisciplinary systems philosophy Extensive survey and analysis of unmanned aircraft launch and recovery techniques, along with selection and design processes Communication systems Derivations of electric aircraft performance equations Overview of mission planning system and control station software functionality Design of aircraft geometry and payload placement Overview of ground control station types and functionality Cost analysis Special Features Equations with solutions at the chapter level Graphics such as line drawings, plots, and images illustrate the problem formulation, communicate data, or highlight system design features Use of examples Case histories