Impact of mission requirements on the design of low observable UCAV configurations

Design/methodology/approach Conceptual design methodologies appropriate to low observable, tailless UCAVs have been integrated into a multidisciplinary aircraft design environment, GENUS, developed at Cranfield University’s aircraft design group. A basic Hi-Lo-Hi mission is designed and a baseline configuration is established through the GENUS framework. Subsequently, an evolutionary optimiser and a robust gradient-based optimiser are used to obtain convergent design solutions for various leading edge sweep angles, mission ranges, cruise Mach numbers and other operational constraints. Findings The results indicate that performance constraints, specifically in the form of specific excess power (SEP), have a large influence on the overall sizing of subsonic tailless UCAVs. This requirement drives the engine sizing, which represents a considerable proportion of the empty and gross mass of the vehicle. Cruise Mach number studies show that no significant advantages exist for operating at low speeds while maintaining performance requirements consistent with combat missions. There is a drastic increase in the vehicle’s mass and thrust requirements for flight speeds above Mach 0.8, with low sweep configurations showing a more pronounced effect. Increases in the range are not overly dependent on the leading edge sweep angle. Top-level radar cross section (RCS) results also favour configurations with higher leading edge sweep angles, especially from the nose-on aspect. Finally, research and development costs are shown to be directly linked to engine size. Originality/value This research shows the use of an integrated aircraft design environment that incorporates aerodynamics, performance, packaging and low observability aspects into the optimisation loop. Through this methodology, this study supports the efforts towards characterising and establishing alternate visions of the future of aerial warfare through the use of low cost, survivable unmanned platforms in network-centric cooperative task

Technology challenges of stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicles

The ever-changing battlefield environment, as well as the emergence of global command and control architectures currently used by armed forces around the globe, requires the use of robust and adaptive technologies integrated into a reliable platform. Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) aim to integrate such advanced technologies while also increasing the tactical capabilities of combat aircraft. This paper provides a summary of the technical and operational design challenges specific to UCAVs, focusing on high-performance, and stealth designs. After a brief historical overview, the main technology demonstrator programmes currently under development are presented. The key technologies affecting UCAV design are identified and discussed. Finally, this paper briefly presents the main issues related to airworthiness, navigation, and ethical concerns behind UAV/UCAV operations

Modelo para la adopción del comercio electrónico en el sector agroindustrial mexicano

En este trabajo se propone un modelo para la adopción del comercio electrónico en las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pyme´s) del sector agroindustrial mexicano. El modelo final consta de dieciocho variables, distribuidas en siete submodelos, que son: Factores organizacionales, características técnicas, comunicación, factores ambientales, factores psicológicos y culturales, apoyo gubernamental y adopción del comercio electrónico. Para la medición de las variables se aplicó un cuestionario a las empresas de una muestra representativa. En la validación del modelo, se usó la técnica de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS). Se validó la consistencia interna del modelo mediante las pruebas de unidimensionalidad, fiabilidad, validez convergente y validez discriminante; así como la validación del modelo estructural

Multidisciplinary analysis of subsonic stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicles

In this paper, the GENUS multidisciplinary aircraft design and analysis environment is presented in its application to the conceptual design of tailless, low-observable unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). Analysis disciplines comprise a variety of low to medium fidelity, physics-based and empirical methodologies, as well as higher order panel method aerodynamic analysis. Stealth considerations have been included in terms of a radar cross section analysis through a physical optics approximation method, with results verified against a well-known radar cross section prediction code. Preliminary results show good agreement for gross and empty masses when compared to several existing UCAV demonstrators and conceptual designs. A further validation of the presented methodologies is evaluated through the design, analysis, and optimisation of an unmanned strike fighter concept

4D BADA-based Trajectory Generator and 3D Guidance Algorithm

This paper presents a hybrid integration between aerodynamic, airline procedures and other BADA-based (Base of Aircraft Data) coefficients with a classical aircraft dynamic model. This paper also describes a three-dimensional guidance algorithm implemented in order to produce commands for the aircraft to follow a flight plan. The software chosen for this work is MATLAB

Conceptual design synthesis and multidisciplinary optimisation of unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

The purpose of this research is to investigate and develop conceptual design methodologies and computational tools appropriate to the design and analysis of low-observable Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), performing a wide variety of missions, with various payload and performance requirements, as well as a wide range of operational constraints, from subsonic to high supersonic flight regimes. Undoubtedly, unmanned aircraft have transformed many aspects of aeronautics and aviation, with military applications often leading these transformational efforts. UCAVs have emerged as a potential strategy to counter technological, operational, and economical challenges to the future of aerial warfare. These challenges include an aging fleet of 4th generation fighters, the deployment of new, advanced 4+ and 5th generation platforms, the reported high vulnerability of current unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as the future development of hypersonic vehicles and weapons. In order to investigate future aircraft configurations, the GENUS aircraft design environment was envisioned by Prof. Howard Smith at Cranfield University’s Aircraft Design Group in 2012. This framework relies on a central architecture with high degrees of modularity and flexibility capable of designing, analysing, and optimising several species of aircraft with similar analysis tools, revealing the real differences and potential advantages of new designs. Mass estimation, propulsion, aerodynamics, performance, radar cross section estimation, and aero-thermal analysis tools have been integrated into the GENUS framework in order to investigate the design space of UCAVs. Validation of these methods has been hampered due to the often restricted access to quality data of UCAVs and similar configurations against which to compare and from which to generate higher fidelity models. Specific steps for improving the accuracy of the methods in the future have been identified and proposed in §9.2. Design space explorations performed in this research include a mission parameter trade study for subsonic UCAVs in Hi-Lo-Hi missions, the conceptual and preliminary design of a UCAV platform with performance matching that of current 5th generation fighters, a fully supersonic deep-interdiction mission trade study, and a high-supersonic (M ≥ 3.0) carrier-based UCAV for time-critical strike missions.PhD in Aerospac

Redes neuronales convolucionales, reconocimiento de imágenes y pronósticos financieros

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are best known as good image classifiers. This model is recently been used for financial fore- casting. The purpose of this work is to show that by converting financial information into images and feeding these financial-image representations to the CNN, it results in an improvement in classification

Análisis de herramientas endpoint and detection response (EDR) de software libre.

El desarrollo de este proyecto establece un punto de partida para que principalmente las MiPymes que para el desarrollo de su funcionamiento y su actividad comercial tengan activos de información, puedan iniciar el análisis y posible implementación de una herramienta tecnológica basada en software libre que permita proteger parte de su infraestructura, específicamente los puntos finales (endpoints), de la creciente oleada de ataques informáticos que día a día amenazan con deteriorar e interrumpir sus actividades. Una plataforma EDR (Endpoint and Detection Response) es una herramienta que apoya parte del proceso de gestión y respuesta a incidentes de seguridad de la información aportando información de valor de forma organizada y haciendo posible la ejecución de acciones según lo requerido, de acuerdo con cada una sus etapas. Se abordarán diferentes soluciones EDR ya existentes y ofrecidas al público por la comunidad open source, realizando un análisis sobre características como soporte ofrecido por la comunidad, requisitos de sistema, efectividad, entre otras, que al final darán sustento a la elección de una de ellas. Finalmente, con la plataforma EDR elegida, se analizará la implementación de la misma, identificando así su funcionamiento y elaborando la documentación que permita a cualquier persona o entidad replicar dicho proceso en su propia infraestructura tecnológica. Debido a la naturaleza de las plataformas EDR, es fundamental abordar de forma paralela el tema de proceso de gestión y respuesta a incidentes de seguridad informática, entendiendo las acciones a realizar en cada una de sus etapas.The development of this project establishes a starting point so that mainly MSMEs that have information assets for the development of their operation and their commercial activity, can start the analysis and possible implementation of a technological tool based on open source that allows to protect part of your infrastructure, specifically the endpoints (endpoints), of the growing wave of computer attacks that every day threaten to deteriorate and interrupt your activities. An EDR (Endpoint and Detection Response) platform is a tool that supports part of the management and response process to information security incidents by providing valuable information in an organized way and making it possible to carry out actions as required, according to each join its stages. Different EDR solutions already existing and offered to the public by the opensource community will be addressed, performing an analysis on characteristics such as support offered by the community, system requirements, effectiveness, among others, which in the end will support the choice of one of them. Finally, with the chosen EDR platform, its implementation will be analyzed, thus identifying its operation and preparing the documentation that allows any person or entity to replicate said process in their own technological infrastructure. Due to the nature of EDR platforms, it is essential to address in parallel the issue of management process and response to computer security incidents, understanding the actions to be taken in each of its stages

Capital humano en las pequenas y medianas empresas de la septima region del Maule.

147 p.El estudio que se presenta a continuación pretende entregar una visión acerca del nivel de Desarrollo del Capital Humano en las Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas(PYME's ) de las cuatro capitales provinciales de la Séptima Region del Maule, tanto en el ámbito directivo como operativo. En la primera etapa de nuestra investigación se revise el estado del arte, con respecto al tema "Capacitación del Capital Humano", con el objeto de identificar conceptos relevantes tales como: actividades, habilidades y destrezas, que sirvieron como base para elaborar un "Modelo Maestro de Variables", las que finalmente se validaron durante la realización de un estudio de campo a los ejecutivos o representantes de las PYME's. Uno de los principales hallazgos de la investigación fue que el Capital Humano de las Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas, corresponde mayoritariamente a personas con escolaridad media completa, lo que los habilitaría para su posterior desarrollo a través de programas de capacitación. Otro resultado importante es que la Region se caracteriza por ser una zona dedicada fundamentalmente tanto al sector Comercio como de Servicios