Using XFLR5

XFLR5 is an incredibly useful (and free!) tool for aerodynamic analysis on small UAVs, such as those used in the club. We won’t go into the details of the inner workings here, but suffice it to say that a number of assumptions are made in the root analysis coding that only work for this class of plane. It can be used to analyze airfoils, stability, component sizing, and a number of other features to help you nail down your plane design. The program is updated regularly and the author has provided video tutorials of its various features, found in the links below.

1. Foil Analysis

2. Foil Batch Analysis

3. Type 4 Polars

4. Flapped Foil

4.1. Foil Analysis - Tips and Tricks

5. Inverse Foil Design

6. Foil Polar Mesh

7. Design a Plane

8. Plane Analysis

8.1. Reference Dimensions

9. Design a Flapped Wing

10. Result Analysis

11. Plane Viscous Analysis Erros

12. Plane Stability Prerequisites

13. Stability: 3D Modes

14. Stability: Root Locus Graph

15. Stability: Time Response

16. Stability: Sensitivity Analysis

16.1. Stability: Control Derivatives

17. Light and Textures