Nixus

Pushing Forward

Prof. Paulo Iscold - August 2019

 Wing Area [m2] Aspect Ratio
20 70.0
18
60.0
16
14 50.0
12 40.0
10
8 30.0
6 20.0
4
10.0
2
0 0.0

Wing Loading [kg/m2]

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0
Standing on giant shoulders

Dagfinn Gangsaas Jim Payne Loek Boermans Sergio Andrade

FBW Test Pilot Aerodynamics Project Owner
Agenda
• What I will not answer:
• Why are we doing this?
• How much does it cost?
• What is the maximum L/D?

• What I will answer:

• How we design airfoils
• How we design the structure
• How the FBW works
• How we build it
• How it flies
Airfoil Design
The development of the DUPI airfoils
XFOIL Calibration

Example from K. Kubrynski, Diana 2 design

CP=0
Laminar Turbulent

Transition point
a=+3°

a=0°

a=-2°
Final Airfoil Family
DUPI-17-135-15 DUPI-17-125-16

DUPI-17-130-16 DUPI-17-130-16V1
Structural Design
Aeroelastic tailoring
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

10

5 Non-Linear Elastic
Vortex Lattice Method
0

-5

-10

0.6
0.4
0 0.2
 4
x 10
3

Normal Shear Load and Normal Bending Moment [N / Nm]

N Aero S.Load
2.5 N Aero B.Moment
N Inertia S.Load
N Inertia B.Moment
2
Total S.Load
Total B.Moment
1.5

0.5

-0.5

-1
-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15
Wing span [m]
Automatic FEM Model Generation
Planform and spar positioning
Materials

Spar Caps
~40%

Typical Material Skin

~30% ~90%
Coupon test

• ASTM D3039 – Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials

• ASTM D6641 – Standard Test method for Compressive Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials
Using a Combined Loading Compression (CLC) Test Fixture

• ASTM D5379 – Shear Properties of Composite Materials by the V-Notched Beam Method

• ASTM D5766 – Open-Hole Tensile Strength of Polymer Matrix Composite Laminates

Fly By Wire
Simple complication
Goals:
Sensors
• Appropriate aerodynamics
• Appropriate structural design
• Equipped with adequate actuators
• Equipped with a reasonable amount of sensors Software
• Will allow further developments

The initial version of the software that will be created will explore:
Actuator
• Optimum flap deflections
• Improvement on handling qualities
Sailplane
 Sensors Controller Common
1 1 Sensors

Sensors Controller
2 2

Sensors Controller
3 3

Aileron position

Aileron position
Flap position

Aileron position
Flap position

Flap position
Bus1
Bus2
Bus3

Node Node Node Node

1L 2L 1R 2R

Servo Servo Servo Servo

1L 2L 1R 2R

Left Wing Right Wing

Fabrication
The hard reality…
Flight Testing
A cautious approach
 Taxi tests

Ready, but not

intending to fly

“Air below the

tire”
The best airplane is merely the
expression of human thinking
and dreaming. People are
always the story.

Joe Sutter