Psychoacoustic analysis of UAS depending on different operating modes

Abstract

The UAS noise source differs significantly from the known noise sources in general aviation. This specific characteristic has not yet been adequately reflected in the known noise metrics. It can be assumed that regular UAS operations have a particular impact on noise pollution and may therefore affect public acceptance of the use of these aircraft in urban areas. This paper therefore investigates the psychoacoustic parameters of UAS models in relation to different flight manoeuvres, speeds and altitudes. For this purpose, various measurement campaigns with different UAS models between 500 g and 10 kg were evaluated. The results provide insights into a possible degree of annoyance of the population and allow conclusions to be drawn for the assessment of UAS noise, which can be used for future regulations or standardization, e.g. maintaining a minimum flight altitude.