{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]],"date-time":"2026-06-13T03:43:21Z","timestamp":1781322201766,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,26]],"date-time":"2020-05-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1590451200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Defence Agency \/ Polish MoD","award":["B - 1404-ESM2-GP \u201cSHM application to Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (SAMAS)\""],"award-info":[{"award-number":["B - 1404-ESM2-GP \u201cSHM application to Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (SAMAS)\""]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper presents the preparation and execution of on-ground static and engine load tests for the composite unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The test was conducted for pre-flight structural strength verification of the remotely piloted aerial target named HORNET, after introducing some structural modifications. The ground tests were performed before the flight test campaign, to ensure the strength and operational safety of the modified structure. The panel method and Computer Aided Design (CAD) modelling were adopted for numerical evaluation of aerodynamic and inertial forces\u2019 distribution to simulate loading scenarios for launch, flight and parachute deploying conditions during the static test. Then, the multi-stage airframe static test was prepared and executed with the use of a designed modular test rig, artificial masses, as well as a wireless strain measurement system to perform structure verification. The UAV was investigated with 150% of the typical load spectrum. Furthermore, an engine test was also conducted on a ground test stand to verify strain and vibration levels in correspondence to engine speed, as well as the reliability of data link and the lack of its interferences with wireless control and telemetry. In the article, data achieved from the numerical and experimental parts of the test are discussed, as well as post-test remarks are given.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s20113014","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,28]],"date-time":"2020-05-28T12:36:58Z","timestamp":1590669418000},"page":"3014","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Numerical and Experimental UAV Structure Investigation by Pre-Flight Load Test"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Artur","family":"Kurnyta","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Air Force Institute of Technology, Airworthiness Division, 01-494 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wojciech","family":"Zielinski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Air Force Institute of Technology, Airworthiness Division, 01-494 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Piotr","family":"Reymer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Air Force Institute of Technology, Airworthiness Division, 01-494 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Krzysztof","family":"Dragan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Air Force Institute of Technology, Airworthiness Division, 01-494 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michal","family":"Dziendzikowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Air Force Institute of Technology, Airworthiness Division, 01-494 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"814","DOI":"10.2514\/1.36415","article-title":"Structural Analysis and Testing of an Ultralight Unmanned-AerialVehicle Carbon-Composite Wing","volume":"46","author":"Sullivan","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Aircr."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compstruct.2007.04.008","article-title":"Design, manufacturing and testing of a HALE UAV structural demonstrator","volume":"83","author":"Frulla","year":"2008","journal-title":"Compos. Struct."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wu, J., Yuan, S., Zhou, G., Ji, S., Wang, Z., and Wang, Y. (2009). Design and Evaluation of a Wireless Sensor Network Based Aircraft Strength Testing System. Sensors, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/s90604195"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gao, L., Yang, K., Chen, X., and Yu, X. (2017). Study on the Deformation Measurement of the Cast-In-Place Large-Diameter Pile Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors. Sensors, 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/s17030505"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Petritoli, E., Leccese, F., and Ciani, L. (2018). Reliability and Maintenance Analysis of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. 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