UAS/Drone Technology: Aircraft Design and Performance

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This course takes a deeper dive into Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), exploring the aircraft, components, and design decisions that make drone technology work in the real world. You'll learn to identify and describe the major components of UAS systems, including the aircraft itself, ground control systems and equipment, launch and recovery systems, and the critical role humans play and understand why UAS function as complete, holistic systems rather than standalone aircraft. From there, we dig into platform selection: how factors like aircraft configuration, aerodynamics, mass, propulsion, power systems, and subsystems all influence which UAS platform is right for a given mission. You'll evaluate and compare the benefits and drawbacks of different UAS aircraft components and characteristics, building the skills to make informed, mission-specific decisions across a wide range of drone applications and use cases. Finally, you'll explore the trade-offs inherent in aircraft performance . Recognizing that improvements in one area (like speed or payload) often come at the cost of another (like endurance or maneuverability) and learn to select an aircraft configuration based on real-world performance metrics. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped to evaluate UAS platforms with the technical depth needed for real-world drone applications, whether you're pursuing a career in the UAS industry or deepening your expertise in unmanned aircraft systems.