Experimental Wind Tunnel Study of Energy Consumption, Level Flight Speed, and Endurance of a Micro-Class UAV as a Function of Operating Weight

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the level flight speed and endurance characteristics of a micro-class unmanned aerial vehicle as a function of operating weight. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to determine the aerodynamic performance and power requirements of the UAV over a range of operating weight configurations. The tested vehicle, a fixed-wing micro UAV, was examined under steady, level flight conditions, with particular emphasis on identifying variations in the minimum power required to sustain level flight. Measured aerodynamic forces and moments were used to derive drag polars and the corresponding power curves for each mass configuration. Based on these results, endurance estimates were obtained by coupling the experimentally derived power requirements with the characteristics of the onboard electric propulsion system. The study demonstrates a clear shift in flight speeds with increasing operating weight, as well as a reduction in achievable endurance, highlighting the sensitivity of micro-class UAV performance to mass variations, and therefore energy consumption.