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Applied Sciences
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Design and Aerodynamic Analysis of Aircraft
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Design and Aerodynamic Analysis of Aircraft

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Aerospace Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 October 2026 | Viewed by 2150

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kelei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
Interests: new-concept aircraft design; propulsion-airframe integrated design; propulsive/aerodynamic coupling analysis; numerical modelling; experimental methodologies
Dr. Dmitry Ignatyev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, Bedfordshire, UK
Interests: aeronautical systems; autonomous systems; flight physics; aerodynamics; flight mechanics; computing simulation and modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue highlights innovative advancements in aircraft design and aerodynamics to address the dual imperatives of sustainable aviation and the rapid evolution of the low-altitude economy. With the aviation industry aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, innovations in aerodynamic efficiency—such as propulsion–airframe integration, active flow control, and adaptive morphing wings—will prove crucial for emission reduction. Simultaneously, the emergence of urban air mobility (UAM), cargo drones, and electric vertical and short takeoff/landing (eVTOL/STOL) vehicles is revolutionizing transportation networks, requiring novel aerodynamic solutions for compact low-noise vertical flight operations and seamless airspace integration. The scope of this Special Issue includes next-generation aerodynamic configurations enabled by sustainable propulsion (hydrogen/electric systems), AI-driven computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimization, the time-variant aerodynamic characterization of eVTOL/STOL configurations, and the experimental validation of innovative designs. By aligning technological innovation with environmental and economic imperatives, this Special Issue seeks to catalyze interdisciplinary research that steers aviation toward a greener, more equitable future. We welcome submissions that feature theoretical breakthroughs, computational methodologies, and experimental validations, emphasizing practical innovations and the application of green and intelligent aviation in the design and aerodynamic analysis of aircraft.

Dr. Kelei Wang
Dr. Dmitry Ignatyev
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • next-generation aerodynamic configuration
  • AI-driven computational fluid dynamics optimization
  • time-variant aerodynamic characterization
  • eVTOL/STOL configuration
  • experimental validation
  • practical innovations and applications

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 3399 KB  
Article
Dynamic Modeling and Analysis of Rigid-Flexible Coupled Unfolding Mechanisms Under Transient Actuation
by Yue Bai, Hong Xiao, Bin Yang, Yang Jiang, Runchao Zhao, Guang Yang, Rongqiang Liu and Hongwei Guo
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16021010 - 19 Jan 2026
Viewed by 401
Abstract
Transient mechanisms are increasingly applied in fields such as high-speed aircraft, super high-speed trains, and underwater robots. However, in high-speed motion, large inertial forces are inevitably generated, which can easily lead to elastic deformations in some flexible components of high-speed mechanisms, thereby affecting [...] Read more.
Transient mechanisms are increasingly applied in fields such as high-speed aircraft, super high-speed trains, and underwater robots. However, in high-speed motion, large inertial forces are inevitably generated, which can easily lead to elastic deformations in some flexible components of high-speed mechanisms, thereby affecting the performance of the mechanical system. To address this issue, this paper focuses on a transient unfolding mechanism driven by a high-speed actuator with flexible leading-edge rods. A rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model of the transient unfolding mechanism is established using the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ANCF), and the theoretical model is validated by comparison with simulation models. The impact of flexible rods on the mechanism’s motion characteristics is studied, analyzing the effects of different deployment times, mechanism parameters, and rod materials on the mechanism’s dynamic properties. Based on this, four classical impact signals are chosen as input conditions to analyze the transient response characteristics of the mechanism under different input conditions. The dynamic characteristics of the transient mechanism are explained from an energy transfer perspective. Finally, a prototype of the transient unfolding mechanism is developed, and transient deployment tests are conducted. The test results verify the accuracy of the rigid-flexible coupling model established in this paper. The research findings provide valuable insights and guidance for the study and application of transient mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Aerodynamic Analysis of Aircraft)
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27 pages, 7498 KB  
Article
Thermal Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Power Systems Using Ducted Forced Convection and Computational Fluid Dynamic Validation
by Eleftherios Nikolaou, Spyridon Kilimtzidis, Efthymios Giannaros, Vaios Lappas and Vassilis Kostopoulos
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(23), 12508; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152312508 - 25 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1335
Abstract
The increasing power density of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has intensified the need for the efficient thermal management of their propulsion and electronic subsystems. This paper presents a systematic multi-fidelity methodology for the design and validation of a ducted forced convection cooling system [...] Read more.
The increasing power density of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has intensified the need for the efficient thermal management of their propulsion and electronic subsystems. This paper presents a systematic multi-fidelity methodology for the design and validation of a ducted forced convection cooling system for a Class-I mini-UAV. The approach combines analytical sizing and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analyses. In the preliminary design phase, a surrogate-based optimization (SBO) framework was implemented to determine the optimal geometric characteristics of a NACA-type inlet duct, enabling the efficient exploration of the design space using a limited number of CFD simulations. SBO employed a Kriging surrogate model trained on a Design of Experiments (DoE) dataset to capture nonlinear interactions between duct geometry and performance metrics such as pressure recovery, total-pressure loss, and outlet flow uniformity. The optimized configuration was then refined and validated through detailed external and internal CFD studies under representative flight conditions. The optimized NACA duct configuration achieved an average increase of 10.5% in volume flow rate (VFR) and a 9.5% reduction in velocity distortion while maintaining a drag penalty below 1% compared to the benchmark Frick’s NACA duct. The presented methodology demonstrates that the early integration of surrogate-based optimization in UAV inlet design can significantly improve aerodynamic and thermal performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Aerodynamic Analysis of Aircraft)
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