Exploring Drone Aerodynamics With Computers

For decades, NASA has used computer models to simulate the flow of air around aircraft in order to test designs and improve the performance of next-generation vehicles. At NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, researchers recently used this technique to explore the aerodynamics of a popular example of a small, battery-powered drone, a modified DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter. This simulation reveals the complex motions of air due to interactions between the vehicle’s rotors and X-shaped f