Discussion of Key Technologies on Application of High-Payload Ducted Fan Aircraft

AERONAUTICAL DRONES, PART 1: CURRENT STATUS AND TRENDS

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, have become an essential component of modern aerospace systems due to their fast expansion across civil, commercial and military applications. Advances in lightweight materials, miniaturized electronics, navigation systems and manufacturing technologies have enabled the development of increasingly capable platforms ranging from small multirotor drones to high-altitude long- endurance aircrafts. This paper reviews the current status of the global drone sector by examining market evolution, industrial development and the principal regulatory frameworks governing UAV operations. A technical classification of drone configurations is presented, including fixed-wing, rotary-wing, hybrid VTOL and mission-oriented categories, highlighting their operational characteristics and engineering trade-offs. Representative civil and military platforms are comparatively analyzed in terms of range, payload, endurance, cost and mission capability in order to illustrate current technological trends. Attention is also given to structural materials and manufacturing technologies employed in modern UAV design (composite materials, lightweight alloys, additive manufacturing and modular construction concepts). The analysis shows that progress in materials engineering and airframe design, together with the diversification of operational requirements, is driving the development of increasingly efficient, specialized and adaptable unmanned aircraft. These trends confirm the importance of UAV technologies within the evolving aerospace industry.

Research on Structural Improvements of UAVs under Extreme Weather Conditions

Wheels-Up Landing and Its Relevance to Novel Aircraft

The National Transport Safety Board found that Wheels-Up Landing was the second highest defining event for aircraft accidents from 2008 to 2022. The increasing push for sustainable propulsion and accompanying novel airframe architectures present new integration and safety challenges for aircraft design and development, among which is the structural integrity and crashworthiness of the aircraft under such extreme events. This paper examines the regulations and design requirements governing aircraft emergency Wheels-Up Landing scenarios, emphasising their implications for aircraft safety and structural integrity. It consolidates standards from aviation authorities, such as the FAA and EASA, which identify and define key requirements relating to occupant safety and fire prevention and protection during such events. The paper then considers the Wheels-Up Landing scenario and its design requirements within the context of future novel aircraft employing sustainable propulsion systems, from higher bypass turbofan to electric- and hydrogen-based technologies. The unique characteristics and challenges of these emerging propulsion technologies are described, highlighting how alternative structural configurations, weight distributions and powerplant architectures may influence the aircraft response under a Wheels-Up Landing event. Finally, an exploration of predictive modelling strategies and methods currently used in Wheels-Up Landing analysis was conducted. While reviewing the breadth of accurate, high-fidelity modelling methods targeting fuselage impact, it also highlighted the gap in both considering the increasingly relevant and frequent powerplant impact scenarios, and the provision of lightweight modelling approaches necessary to rapidly and adequately address the emergency Wheels-Up Landing response early in the aircraft design process.

AERONAUTICAL DRONES, PART 2: CURRENT APPLICATIONS AND TRENDS

This paper examines the current applications and emerging development trends of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with emphasis on the technological and operational evolution of contemporary drone systems across civil and military domains. The study reviews the expanding use of UAVs in precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection, logistics, emergency response, urban air mobility, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare and tactical operations, highlighting the operational advantages offered by unmanned platforms in diverse mission environments. The principal challenges affecting future UAV deployment are also analyzed, including battery endurance, cybersecurity, communication reliability, regulatory compliance, airspace integration and environmental constraints. Attention is given also to the increasing role of artificial intelligence, autonomous mission execution, swarm coordination, advanced propulsion technologies and digital airspace management in shaping the next generation of unmanned aircraft systems. Current research directions indicate a transition from individually operated drones toward interconnected, intelligent and highly autonomous aerial systems capable of cooperative decision- making and large-scale deployment. The analysis shows that future progress in unmanned aviation will depend not only on improvements in aircraft performance but also on advances in systems integration, secure communications, resilient autonomy and regulatory frameworks that enable the safe and efficient operation of increasingly complex UAV ecosystems.

Design of The VTOL Jet Engine for Energy Efficiency and Lightweight Flying Vehicle Analysis in Malaysia

Driven by the growing demand for efficient emergency Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) transportation and advanced air mobility, the development of lightweight flying vehicles has become increasingly critical. This research presents an innovative flap design integrated with a jet engine system to optimize the aerodynamic efficiency and flight endurance of a lightweight aircraft. Characterized by a 770 kg payload capacity and a maximum speed of 425 km/h, the proposed vehicle underwent a rigorous development process involving aerodynamic analysis, structural configuration design, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, and validation. The airframe leverages high-strength, lightweight materials specifically carbon fiber and aluminum integrated with a jet propulsion layout to reduce energy consumption. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed flap configuration enhances flight endurance by approximately 36% over conventional designs. This framework exhibits strong potential for emergency response applications, including ambulatory and rescue operations, by mitigating traffic-induced delays. This study contributes directly to the advancement of energy-efficient jet engine technology and next-generation aerospace transportation systems in Malaysia.

Research progress and outlook on launch technologies for small- and medium-sized UAVs

To meet small/medium unmanned aerial vehicles’ (UAVs) rapid, covert deployment needs from the low-altitude economy and modern warfare, this paper aims to review mainstream launch technologies, analyzes core challenges and projects trends for military-civilian references. This paper systematically reviews the development history, key technological breakthroughs and typical application scenarios of mainstream launch technologies for small- and medium-sized UAVs. It analyzes the core technical bottlenecks of existing launch systems and, based on multidisciplinary research progress, summarizes future development trends, aiming to provide a structured reference for related academic and engineering research. As the core link between unmanned equipment and mission scenarios, small- and medium-sized UAV launch technology has evolved from “functional compliance” to “performance synergy” based on existing research. Literature indicates that advances in three key dimensions – lightweight design, low overload and low noise – coupled with improved intelligence and environmental adaptability, will drive the technology toward multiscenario compatibility, precise control and low-cost deployment. This paper systematically compares domestic and international research progress, synthesizes key parameter characteristics of different launch technologies and summarizes core technical challenges (e.g. lightweighting, low noise and low overload) limiting future UAV system development. As a comprehensive literature review, it clarifies future development directions and provides theoretical references for subsequent research and practical applications.