Author(s)

Chung-Kiak Poh^*, Chung-How Poh

Aero-Persistence Research, Penang, Malaysia.

Application of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for tropical cyclone missions is an emerging area of research and recent advances include the concept of spinsonde for multi-cycle measurement of vertical wind profile within the storm. This work proposes the design of a typhoon UAV as part of a cost-effective approach for acquiring atmospheric data to improve prediction and refine models. Land- and carrier-based flight schemes are proposed in this study and computer simulations are carried out to investigate the flight performance. Results suggest that the UAV achieves a maximum cruising speed in excess of 350 km·h^-1 with excellent spinsonde performance. Furthermore, the UAV is capable of performing high-alpha maneuvers as well as vertical landing, thus rendering it suitable for space-efficient operation whether on land or aircraft carrier.

Tropical Cyclone, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Spinsonde, Vertical Wind Profile, Vertical Landing, High-Alpha Maneuvers

Poh, C.-K. and Poh, C.-H. (2016) Journey to the Typhoon. Advances in Aerospace Science and Technology, 1, 21-31.