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Because of the increasing consumption of the petroleum, many countries have been looking for alternative energy solutions. One of them is solar power whose efficiency is increasing with the development of the technology. These progress of the technology leads to development of the high altitude long endurance solar power UAV which could execute the continuous monitor mission which performed by reconnaissance airplanes and satellites at these days. In order to reach the performance requirements, it is necessary to reduce the weight and keep the aerodynamic configuration streamlined to increase the efficiency.
In this study, Styrofoam, plywood and other light materials are used to manufacture the 10-meter wing span solar power UAV. Moreover, advanced composites are applied on the fabric, ribs and connectors for excellent weight to strength ratio that provides good characteristics to overcome stress. Three prototype have completed missions with Autopilot and accumulate lots of data which give reference for future research.
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