With enthusiasm for the development of UAVs, Yang Hui and several technical backbones who were originally in the development of model airplanes found the same digital fly-by-wire flight control development department in the second institute, where fly-by-wire flight control system experts from all over the country gathered together, of course, there are professors from Western University of Technology, who are also Li Yun's mentors.

After explaining his intentions, the old professor looked at this group of young people in surprise, the original model aircraft business of Southwest Science and Industry can no longer satisfy their appetite? Ready to get involved in the field of UAV development? This is a new situation.

As for Yang Hui's proposal to strengthen cooperation between the two sides in the development of UAVs, this is naturally undesirable for the Western University of Technology, and Southwest Science and Industry may not be a behemoth abroad, but in China it is the diamond king Lao Wu, a typical winner in life.

Such a rich unit and the Western University of Technology jointly develop UAVs, must be retained, this year used in the university in the scientific research funds than in the scientific research institutes are less, the development of UAVs in the Western University of Technology is also difficult to fund.

"Cooperation in the development of UAVs, this is a good project, on the current level of UAV development in China is mainly staying on the UAV target aircraft, really to say that the development of reusable UAVs, that is, we have a little experience in Western University of Technology, our D4 UAV was produced in small batches last year, and there is absolutely no problem in technology."

Speaking of D4 UAV, Yang Hui has some impressions, this thing is used for aerial photography, mapping, remote sensing, aerial surveying and magnetic prospecting, etc., in general, it is indeed a relatively successful UAV, which is a pioneering career, so that the UAV Institute of Western University of Technology has entered the real UAV development door.

It is precisely for this purpose. Yang Hui came to cooperate with Western University of Technology: "D4 drone, I also know something. Very good, it proves that the UAV research institute of the alma mater is indeed very capable. However, the artillery reconnaissance UAV we want to develop this time is much more advanced than D4 in technology, and I am afraid that there are a lot of hard bones to gnaw, especially the control system of the aircraft is even more difficult, and the school is willing to cooperate with this project? ”

The UAV flight control system is divided into two parts: ground remote control, airborne sensing, and airborne execution equipment, and the airborne sensing part is naturally responsible for flight data collection and feedback to the ground.

The ground then converts the decisions made into telecommunication signals, which are fed back to the drone's on-board computer. Then the executive elements of the aircraft are controlled by the on-board computer to control the aerodynamic deflection of the rudder surface, so as to realize a complete set of flight control of the UAV. However, it is quite difficult to achieve this, and it is also the technical core of UAV development.

What is the gap between the current model aircraft and UAVs of Southwest Science and Industry? It can only be said that there is too much, the model aircraft is visually located by the operator on the ground, and it itself does not have sensors and other information collection systems including: compass, speed, and altitude, which is destined to be unable to transplant the drone operation system.

On the other hand, the unmanned reconnaissance maneuver used by artillery is often a flight radius of several tens of kilometers, and in contrast, the control distance of the model aircraft is too close and too close, and it is still within the visual range, and the radio signal coverage is too small. Technically, it's a lot simpler.

These difficulties exist for Southwest Science and Industry, but for the UAV Research Institute of Western University of Technology, which has successfully developed the D4 UAV, the difficulty in the control system is smaller.

For example, the professor is now saying: "I will tell you the truth, the development of the control system is really not a big problem. D4's control system migration improvements are completely feasible. As the leader of the development of the D4 operating system, I can responsibly guarantee this. ”

Sure enough, it's an old professor who is engaged in telex systems. It can make the simulated fly-by-wire stabilization technology of the fighter, and then make the flight control system of the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft with simple flight actions. It doesn't seem to be a big problem.

The flight control system, which had worried Yang Hui for a long time, came up with a quite reliable solution. Then all that remains should be the development of the airframe and the integration of airborne reconnaissance equipment. Take-off and landing performance, flight speed, altitude, and endurance are some important indicators related to the combat capability of UAVs.

"Then what we want to concentrate on public relations has become the development of the body? There seem to be a lot of ways in this, but it is relatively convenient for our southwest science and industry, we have developed a lot of small aircraft, and there is no problem with the design of the fuselage. ”

Southwest Science and Industry Fuselage design ability is really not nonsense, the past few years of model aircraft design are experience, do not think that the model aircraft is really a completely reduced real fighter, in fact, the model aircraft and the real fighter aircraft are the same as the aerodynamic shape design, the internal structure design of the model aircraft, that is completely according to the special flight environment design of the model aircraft.

Small UAVs, like model aircraft, are hard work on the design of the fuselage structure, aerodynamic design has become a secondary condition, and the simple straight wing used by the reconnaissance UAV is the best airfoil.

The old professor obviously took this into account, in addition to the financial advantages of Southwest Science and Industry, in the design of the body is much stronger than the UAV Research Institute of Western University of Technology, and the UAV Design Institute of Western University of Technology has not developed much of the aircraft body.

"So, this is with the help of your technical strength, I believe you have a lot of experience in airframe design, and a small reconnaissance drone will not be too difficult for you."

Are there technical difficulties? Of course, it is not difficult, the only thing that needs to be spent a little more thought is the choice of engine, if the fuel consumption is too high, this will directly affect the endurance. The endurance is too low, and it is absolutely unbearable for an artillery reconnaissance drone used in the field.

However, these have already had plans: "It's simple, I can now come up with some plans, such as our drones taking off." Because it is accompanied by artillery field take-off and landing, it is almost difficult to find the runway, so the combination of vehicle-mounted slide rails and thrust rockets is the most reliable scheme. ”

Rocket booster technology, which has appeared in aircraft design for many years, was most used in the early days to install on the bomber, so that the bomber can shorten the take-off and landing distance, which is a very important indicator in the development of bombers during the Cold War.

Now use this technology to the boost of small UAVs, UAVs can completely use the runway, just use the slide rail, this is the standard design of small UAVs in the field, even after decades, it is still inseparable from this thing.

"Good idea, the use of rockets to boost this is simply a stroke of genius, the problem of field take-off can be solved, sure enough, there is still a specialization in the industry, Southwest Science and Technology is indeed experienced in the design of the airframe."

Hearing the professor's appreciation, Yang Hui was a little embarrassed, this is actually a common practice in later generations of his own plagiarism, and even foreign countries already have this kind of rocket-boosted drone, which is completely undeserved.

Let's continue to talk about it, such as the choice of body materials, the choice of engine, and so on.

"In order to control the weight of the airframe, the aluminum alloy material widely used in modern aircraft is too heavy, our aircraft is small, and there is not too much concentrated load, and the composite materials used in some places can be considered to reduce weight."

Hearing that the materials to be used in the aircraft, even the model aircraft design team did not understand what Yang Hui meant, as far as the domestic aviation aircraft composite materials, there seems to be no achievements, even if there is a high price, there is no need for large-scale use.

"Whether it is domestic or imported, are composite materials a little too expensive? The cost of our drone is definitely not too high, which is somewhat unrealistic. ”

Faced with the question pointed out by Yang Yue, Yang Hui replied with a smile.

"Composite materials are not necessarily the use of high-performance fiber materials, our UAV flight speed is low, the aerodynamic load is also small, and there is no additional centralized loading, directly use the ordinary industrial plastic materials in the world now, if it is not enough, add a reinforcing frame in the plastic molding process." (To be continued......)