Aerodynamics of Lifting Surfaces during Transitional Flight Mode
The research thrust aims to fundamentally understand the aerodynamics of lifting-surfaces during the transition from hovering to forward-flight modes. The need for such research is driven by the increased application of hybrid/tilt-wing small/medium unmanned aerial systems (UASs), which offer vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) capabilities. However, efficient implementation of tilt-wing aircraft technologies is hampered by the lack of understanding of the aerodynamics in the transition corridor. Ongoing experimental and computational investigations serve to anatomize the complex flow mechanisms of propeller-wing systems in transition, enable a physics-based understanding of the aerodynamics, and establish the design challenges for said systems, all of which are essential to the development of next generation high performance and endurance VTOL aircraft.
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