Impact of mission requirements on the design of low observable UCAV configurations

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to characterise the effects of mission and performance parameters on the design space of low observable subsonic unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) operating in typical Hi-Lo-Hi ground strike missions. Design/methodology/approach Conceptual design methodologies appropriate to low observable, tailless UCAVs have been integrated into a multidisciplinary aircraft design environment, GENUS, developed at Cranfield University’s aircraft design group. A basic Hi-Lo-Hi mission is designed and a baseline configuration is established through the GENUS framework. Subsequently, an evolutionary optimiser and a robust gradient-based optimiser are used to obtain convergent design solutions for various leading edge sweep angles, mission ranges, cruise Mach numbers and other operational constraints. Findings The results indicate that performance constraints, specifically in the form of specific excess power (SEP), have a large influence on the overall sizing of subsonic tailless UCAVs. This requirement drives the engine sizing, which represents a considerable proportion of the empty and gross mass of the vehicle. Cruise Mach number studies show that no significant advantages exist for operating at low speeds while maintaining performance requirements consistent with combat missions. There is a drastic increase in the vehicle’s mass and thrust requirements for flight speeds above Mach 0.8, with low sweep configurations showing a more pronounced effect. Increases in the range are not overly dependent on the leading edge sweep angle. Top-level radar cross section (RCS) results also favour configurations with higher leading edge sweep angles, especially from the nose-on aspect. Finally, research and development costs are shown to be directly linked to engine size. Originality/value This research shows the use of an integrated aircraft design environment that incorporates aerodynamics, performance, packaging and low observability aspects into the optimisation loop. Through this methodology, this study supports the efforts towards characterising and establishing alternate visions of the future of aerial warfare through the use of low cost, survivable unmanned platforms in network-centric cooperative tasks.