Aerodynamic Design Methodology for Air Propellers of Swarm UAVs under Variable Mission Payloads

This study presents an aerodynamic design methodology for fixed- and variable-pitch air propellers (APs) for swarm unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), based on vortex theory. The methodology integrates design calculations with system analysis, mathematical modeling, and parametric simulations to evaluate aerodynamic and flight characteristics under diverse operational scenarios. The results demonstrate that UAV flight range and endurance are strongly influenced by payload configuration, flight altitude, and velocity, with bomb load having a particularly significant impact. Verification calculations confirm that one of the most critical factors in improving UAV performance is the design of mission-specific propellers. To address this, we propose a modular approach in which UAVs are equipped with sets of interchangeable APs, each optimized for distinct combat tasks and payloads. This approach enables flexible mission adaptation while maintaining efficiency across flight regimes, providing a practical pathway toward enhancing the performance of tactical swarm UAVs.