Application of advanced composite materials for UAV

Abstract

In order to meet the needs of high-altitude, long-endurance, high mobility, functional and economic requirement for the future unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV), advanced composite materials have been increasingly applied in UAVs at home and abroad, and even many all-composite UAVs are manufactured. However, there are still some gaps in the proportion and technical level of composite materials used in UAVs in China compared with foreign countries. The cost of composite parts is one of the main factors restricting its application. This paper introduces the development process of UAV at home and abroad, and summarizes the application of composite materials on UAVs. Some key technologies and development trends of UAV composite materials are proposed. Some questions and suggestions are raised on the application of domestic composite materials on drones. For accelerating the application of composite materials in UAV industry in China, it is necessary to design the composite structure based on the process feasibility and stability with introducing foreign automation technology to reduce composite structure cost, actively develop various liquid forming technology, bag vacuum only-out of autoclave(BVO-OoA) materials and technology, and improve the traditional moulding technology research.

Keywords

• unmanned aerial vehicles
• advanced composites
• application
• cost