Weight Estimation Study of ABT-18 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Abstract

During the design process of any aircraft, weight is the most important variable. The cost of the aircraft and its performance depend on its weight to achieve its planned mission. This work estimated the weight of a converted ABT-18 aircraft to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which could be deployed for long-endurance surveillance missions. The study revealed that after all the modifications, the all-up mass (AUM) of 841 kg of the ABT-18 standard version is reduced to 789 kg for the ABT-18 UAV. Additionally, the operating empty mass of 538 kg of the ABT-18 standard version was reduced to 471 kg for the ABT-18 UAV. Thus, a reasonable amount of weight was reduced from the ABT-18 aircraft. Consequently, ABT-18 UAV performance will be improved; since the aircraft weight is reduced and will result in less fuel consumption and less emission of harmful gases.