Multi-Disciplinary Design and Performance Assessment of Effective, Agile NATO Air Vehicles

Abstract

This article belongs to a series of publications about the activities performed within the NATO STO Research Task Group AVT-251 on "Multi-Disciplinary design and performance assessment of effective, agile NATO Air Vehicles". The article concentrates on the development and investigation of the MULDICON UCAV configuration, as well as on the organization and assessment of the AVT-251 task group itself. After a brief introduction to the preceding task groups and the research questions that lead to AVT-251, the selection of design requirements is discussed and the chosen way for developing MULDICON out of its predecessor, the SACCON concept, is sketched. A special focus is placed on the various aerodynamic investigations with the aim to control the vortex flow topology at medium to high angles of attack. Thereafter, the overall aircraft design work on the re-designed outer shape is presented and the resulting MULDICON configuration is investigated and assessed. Finally, a concluding summary of the MULDICON concept and the AVT-251 task group is presented.