We have developed a general numerical approach to lifting-line theory that can be use for wings with sweep and dihedral. The traditional formulation does not converge if the quarter-chord is not straight. This formulation solves that problem and has been tested against other solutions.

The elliptic lift distribution is only one optimal lift distribution. It ignores the influence of any structural constraints. We have found a family of analytic optimal lift distributions that minimize induced drag with structural and other operating constraints. These distributions match very favorably with high-fidelity optimization results.

Using thin-airfoil theory and vortex-panel methods, we have demonstrated that conformal flaps can have significant advantages over traditional articulated flaps in terms of flap effectiveness and lift-to-drag ratios in specific operating conditions.

We have shown that by designing wing twist to produce a specific lift distribution, and coupling that with proper aileron sizing and placement, aileron deflection can produce proverse or neutral yaw. This is not possible on a perfectly elliptic lift distribution. However, other optimal lift distributions can be used in conjunction with proper aileron design to produce proverse or neutral yaw.

The traditional dimensionless formulation of the equations of motion uses aerodynamic scaling for the dimensionless parameters. However, these parameters (mean chord, wing span, wing area) have little to do with the dynamic scaling. We have developed an alternate set of dimensionless parameters based on the physics of the dynamic system. The usefulness of this set of parameters is an active area of investigation for our group.

We have developed an analytic solution for computing the volume, center of gravity, and inertia tensor of finite wings and rotors of constant density. This is very useful in the initial stages of design, when estimates for aircraft inertial properties are needed but CAD geometry may not yet be available.

We have developed a custom flight-testing architecture using off-the-shelf components along with a custom PCB board for connections and power routing. The full hardware setup weighs about 80 g and has the following properties:

• DSMX send pilot commands from ground to onboard computer

• Onboard computers include 2 Teensy Boards, one for communication and one for control-law computations

• IMU, GPS, and Pitot probe sensors feed directly to conrol-law board

• Mavlink protocol used to send real-time data to ground station

• Custom ground station for real-time data visualization