Aerostructural Design and Manufacturing of UAV Wings: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to synthesize the multi-disciplinary optimization problem of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) wing design, specifically addressing the conflicting requirements between maximizing aerodynamic efficiency and minimizing structural weight in high-aspect-ratio (>15) wings intended for long-endurance missions. Design/methods/approach: A total of 39 studies from the last 15 years were critically analyzed through an integrated perspective encompassing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and advanced manufacturing technologies to identify systemic gaps in the design-to-production cycle. Findings/results: The investigation identifies the NACA 4412 airfoil as a primary reference geometry for low Reynolds number regimes due to its superior resistance to the Laminar Separation Bubble (LSB) phenomenon, which is shown to increase drag by up to 50%. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a critical modeling deficiency in current literature: the widespread "rigid wing" assumption neglects the aeroelastic negative twist (washout) effect in flexible structures, leading to a systematic lift overestimation error of approximately 7%. Regarding manufacturing, the study highlights that Z-axis anisotropy in topology-optimized structures produced via additive manufacturing leads to significant structural strength reductions of up to 50%. Conclusions: The review concludes that traditional sequential design paradigms are insufficient; successful UAV development is only achievable through an "Integrated Design (Co-Design)" approach where aerodynamic, structural, and manufacturing constraints are conducted concurrently to effectively bridge the quantifiable gap between digital simulation and physical workshop realities.