A remotely-controlled micro airship for wireless coverage

Authors

  • Raed Kafafy Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates, Al Ain, UAE
    United Arab Emirates
  • Mohamed Okasha Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
    United Arab Emirates
  • Shamma Alblooshi Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
    United Arab Emirates
  • Hessa Almansoori Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
    United Arab Emirates
  • Salma Alkaabi Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
    United Arab Emirates
  • Salma Alshamsi Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
    United Arab Emirates
  • Turfa Alkaabi Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
    United Arab Emirates

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23917/arstech.v3i2.1190

Keywords:

Airship design, Air vehicles , Remote control , Thrust vectoring , Wireless coverage

Abstract

This paper describes the design process and prototype development of a remotely controlled airship for wireless coverage. The airship is designed to be used as a platform to provide wireless coverage for rural areas. The design process follows a systematic design process for lighter-than-air vehicles, modified to impart slight heaviness to the vehicle. A remotely-controlled, thrust-vectored electric propulsion system offsets the slight vehicle heaviness. The electric propulsion system comprises two tilting rotors for takeoff, cruise, hovering, and horizontal manoeuvring. A rudder-less, rotor-less, cruciform fin design was implemented. A reduced-scale prototype of the airship was developed to prove the design concept. The airship prototype was successfully tested in an indoor environment. It was discovered that propeller tilting enables the dynamic thrust vectoring demanded by the various flight manoeuvres. If the airship can fly, no one will have to handle its flight when it is needed for wireless coverage.

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References

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Published

2022-12-27

How to Cite

Kafafy, R., Okasha, M. ., Alblooshi, S. ., Almansoori, H., Alkaabi, S. ., Alshamsi, S. ., & Alkaabi, T. . (2022). A remotely-controlled micro airship for wireless coverage. Applied Research and Smart Technology (ARSTech), 3(2), 72–80. https://doi.org/10.23917/arstech.v3i2.1190

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