Performance in a UAV is a systems outcome and sizing a UAV is a regressive process...
Performance in a UAV is a systems outcome and sizing a UAV is a regressive process in the literal sense: we begin from mission outcomes and work backward to the mass and power requirements.
So, Mission requirements dictate a design that must converge through iteration. But in a high-speed, low-cap design cycle, the industry has defaulted to catalogue-driven integration. And integration is often a "firefight" between what is on the shelf and what the mission demands.
Raymer-Style Spiral
The Endurance Paradox
Endurance Demand
↓
More Battery
↓
More Weight
↓
Bigger Propulsion
↓
Higher Power Draw
=
Lower Usable Energy
The spiral is the default outcome, not an anomaly. progress is typically expressed as outward shifts of the same spiral.
The Subsystem Reset
Evolutionary Paths
- Structure: Aluminium → Carbon Fiber
- Energy: NiMH / NiCd → Lithium Era
- Propulsion: Nylon → Optimised Airfoils
- Control: PWM ESCs → FOC / Telemetry
The Candidate Reset
While control and propellers have evolved, BLDC motors have only gone through cycles of refinements. A meaningful endurance gain requires an architectural shift in the unit of product.
We are exploring axial-flux under UAV constraints.