In this study, preliminary sizing of a turboprop engine powered high altitude unmanned aerial vehicle and it`s propulsion system for an assumed mission profile in Turkey was performed. Aircraft mission profile is one of the most important design inputs in aircraft design. While the aircraft is dimensioned according to the requirements in the specification (useful payload, range, target cost, etc.), parameters such as cruise altitude and speed within the mission profile affect the engine type, power level, fuel quantity, and therefore the overall dimensions and total weight of the aircraft. The unmanned aerial vehicle with turboprop engine investigated in this study, can stay in the air for at least 24 hours at high altitude (40000 ft) and can be used for border surveillance, coast control, forest fires and land exploration.
Unmanned aerial vehicle sizing, Turboprop engine, Gas turbine engine, Cycle analysis