A Novel Fixed Twin-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with Variable Angle Louver Rudder

A novel fixed twin-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the variable angle louver rudder (VALR) is developed in this work. In view of the mechanical characteristics under the action of the louver rudder, specific kinematics and dynamics models are derived. The aerodynamic characteristics of the UAV are studied through computational fluid dynamics simulation, and a ground measurement system is designed to analyze the aerodynamic characteristics of the prototype. An attitude control model is proposed, and maneuvers such as take-off, landing, hovering, and braking are realized through flight experiments, which verify the feasibility of the prototype design. This research shows that the new layout with the VALR system, combined with the advantages of rudder control and vector control, can reduce the structural complexity and deadweight of the UAV while ensuring flight stability and improving maneuverability. Moreover, the novel UAV has higher energy efficiency and economy.