Impact of Radiation Patterns on UAV Performance Across Various Sizes - Virtual Flight Test

The performance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is significantly influenced by their radiation patterns, which determine the efficiency and reliability of communication in navigation systems. This study investigates the effect of radiation patterns on macro, micro and nano UAVs, emphasizing the size dependent challenges and opportunities in antenna design, placement and its performance. A simple microstrip patch antenna operating in C-band is considered and integration over different sizes of UAVs is performed using 3D electromagnetic simulation tool Altair Feko. The practical deployment in an urban scenario is validated with a virtual flight test analysis by utilizing Altair WinProp. The simulation results reveal that the UAV platform and its virtual verification play a crucial role in validating its performance under diverse conditions.