Analysis of Quadrotor Design UAV Utilizing Biplane Configuration with NACA Airfoils
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have revolutionized various industries due to their adaptability, efficiency, and capability to operate in diverse environments. However, conventional UAV designs face trade-offs between flight endurance and maneuverability. This study explores the design, analysis, and optimization of a biplane quadrotor UAV, integrating the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of multirotors with the aerodynamic efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft to enhance flight endurance while maintaining high maneuverability. The UAV’s structural design incorporates biplane wings with different NACA airfoil configurations (NACA4415, NACA0015, and NACA0012) to assess their impact on drag reduction, stress distribution, and flight efficiency. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in ANSYS Fluent 2023 R2 (Canonsburg, PA, USA).reveal that the NACA0012 airfoil achieves the highest drag reduction (75.29%), making it the most aerodynamically efficient option. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) further demonstrates that NACA4415 exhibits the lowest structural stress (95.45% reduction), ensuring greater durability and load distribution. Additionally, a hybrid flight control system, combining Backstepping Control (BSC) and Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Control (ITSMC), is implemented to optimize transition stability and trajectory tracking. The results confirm that the biplane quadrotor UAV significantly outperforms conventional quadcopters in terms of aerodynamic efficiency, structural integrity, and energy consumption, making it a promising solution for surveillance, cargo transport, and long-endurance missions. Future research will focus on material enhancements, real-world flight testing, and adaptive control strategies to further refine UAV performance in practical applications.
Authors
- Fabrobi Ridha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4717-8805)
- E. B. Priyanka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7280-9309)
- Anggy Pradiftha Junfithrana (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1983-4756)
- S. Thangavel
- Sivakumar Nallappan Sellappan
- Manivel Chinnappandi
Institutions
- Madurai Medical College (IN)
- Universitas Wijaya Putra (ID)
- Social Service Sericulture Project Trust (IN)
- Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi (ID)
Publication Details
- Published
- 2025-09-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025107109
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Real-time simulation and control systems
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.21