Design of Fixed Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

By Prof. Subrahmanyam Saderla | IIT Kanpur

Learners enrolled: 961 | Exam registration: 24

ABOUT THE COURSE:
This course introduces the initial designing and sizing process for rapidly growing fixed – wing UAV technology, integrated with its performance and stability analysis and prototype testing

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Undergraduate and postgraduate students

PREREQUISITES: Introduction to Aerodynamics

INDUSTRY SUPPORT: DRDO, HAL, Boeing, Airbus, Bell, McDonnell Douglas, UAV Factory, Lockheed Martin

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	8 weeks
Category :	Aerospace Engineering
Credit Points :	2
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date :	21 Jul 2025
End Date :	12 Sep 2025
Enrollment Ends :	28 Jul 2025
Exam Registration Ends :	15 Aug 2025
Exam Date :	21 Sep 2025 IST
NCrF Level	4.5 — 8.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1 : Introduction to fixed-wing UAVs ,Introduction to Design, Basic Design Parameters
Week 2 : Basic Design Parameters contd…, Design Algorithm: Case Study, Design Algorithm: Mission Requirements
Week 3 : Design Algorithm: Feasible Design Parameters, Configuration Layout: Airfoil Selection,Configuration Layout: Planform Geometry selection
Week 4 : Weight and CG Estimation,Analytical Parameter Estimation, Analytical Parameter Estimation contd…
Week 5 : Performance and Stability Analysis,Performance and Stability Analysis contd… ,Performance and Stability Analysis contd….
Week 6 : Simulation, Simulation contd… , Detailed Sizing.
Week 7 : Estimation of inertial properties using 3D modelling, Prototype Fabrication.
Week 8 : Wind Tunnel Testing, Aerodynamic Characterization through Wind Tunnel Testing.

Books and references

Introduction to Flight by John D. Anderson
Performance, Stability, Dynamics, and Control of Airplanes by Bandu N. Pamadi
Aircraft performance and design by John D. Anderson
Unmanned Aircraft Design A review of fundamentals by Mohammad H. Sadraey
Aircraft Design : A Conceptual Approach by Daniel P. Raymer
Unmanned Aircraft Systems : UAVs Design Development and Deployment by Reg Austin
Small Unmanned Fixed-wing Aircraft Design: A Practical Approach by Andrew J. Keane and James P. Scanlan

Instructor bio

Prof. Subrahmanyam Saderla

IIT Kanpur

Prof. Subrahmanyam Saderla obtained his B.Tech (Aeronautical Engineering) from JNTU, Hyderabad in 2008, M.Tech and Ph.D (Aerospace Engineering) from IIT Kanpur during 2010 and 2015 respectively. Later he joined as a postdoctoral fellow in the department of aerospace and software engineering at Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea. At present he is working as an assistant professor in the department of aerospace engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. His current area of interest lies in real time system identification of unmanned aerial vehicles. His research interests also include design, flight tests and parameter estimation, high angle of attack aerodynamic modelling and dynamic wind tunnel testing as well as experimental flight dynamics, chaotic modelling using Artificial Neural Networks.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.

The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).

Date and Time of Exams: September 21, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.

Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.

The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.

Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 6 assignments out of the total 8 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Kanpur .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team

SWAYAM Helpline / Support