Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference

VTOL UAV: For Littoral Combat Ships

FIU Wellness & Recreation Center

I am investigating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) on Littoral Combat Ships, vessels designed for operations near shore by the United States Navy, that uses launchers for take-offs and safety nets for landing on the ship. These Launchers increase overall costs and safety nets create un-necessary damage to the UAVs. Additionally, costs increase when having to designing each system and both take up valuable space. The goal of this research is to design, manufacture, and test an UAV with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities to reduce take-off and landing costs for Littoral Combat Ships. The UAV will first be simulated using XFLR5 to determine computational flow dynamics by first selecting a proper 2D airfoil and then molding a sample 3D model of the UAV. Once determining the shape of the UAV, Solidworks will be used for structural analysis for the entire UAV. By being able to create a more effective UAV, the Navy will be able to respond better to emergencies from soldiers in the battlefield. These UAV’s will be able to provide soldiers with an aerial view of the battlefield allowing soldiers to make better combat decisions.