Accurate Prediction of Landing Loads for a New Design of a Wing-In-Ground Maritime Surveillance Drone – CFD Investigation

One area of interest for refining WIG UAV designs is the water impact loads exerted during landing. Accurately estimating the loads avoids possible structural damage, removing need for added support. This research supports a unique conceptual design of a WIG UAV for deployment as a maritime surveillance drone. The problem was solved using CFD through STAR-CCM+. Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) was utilised for this investigation and shown to be a valid technique to capture the free surface during drop tests. Slamming load test on the 3D Wig craft estimated loads of around 250-300N for the central hull with the floats showing 70-170N loads. The arrow float geometry showed favourable slamming characteristics for the WIG craft, slowing the body down through entry into the water at a greater rate. These findings will allow for further iterative design work, now focusing on material selection and structural design that can withstand these loads during landing.