New Dynamic Soaring Formulation for Assessing the Effects of Flexibility on Mini UAV Endurance Performance

This study extends dynamic soaring analysis methods by incorporating Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flexibility effects to assess performance. Using the ASWING framework validated against experimental data, up to seven levels of conservative constraints are added to the traditional 6-degrees-of-freedom point mass model, enhancing flight dynamic modeling fidelity. The impact of each constraint on the soaring performance is analyzed. A comparison between rigid and flexible RC gliders reveals that flexibility, while allowing significant structural deflections, degrades performance due to earlier stall, reduced aerodynamic efficiency, and reduced control effectiveness at high speeds. Unsteady aerodynamics and transient structural response are shown to have negligible effects. A novel travel strategy is introduced, significantly improving the performance of flexible UAVs.