Structural Analysis of Drone Wings Using Composite Materials

The structural integrity and performance of drone wings are of paramount importance in modern unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design. Lightweight yet robust materials are essential to ensure optimal aerodynamic efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and high maneuverability. This study focuses on the structural analysis of drone wings constructed from advanced composite materials—Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP)—using finite element analysis (FEA) techniques in ANSYS Workbench. The primary objective is to evaluate and compare the total deformation, maximum principal stress, and maximum principal strain behavior of these two materials when subjected to aerodynamic loads under realistic operating conditions. A tapered drone wing geometry was modeled in CATIA V5 with a span of 6.898 meters, a root chord of 1.152 meters, a tip chord of 0.560 meters, and a uniform thickness of 5 millimeters. The CAD model was then imported into ANSYS Workbench for meshing, boundary condition setup, and static structural simulation. A fixed constraint was applied at the root to represent the fuselage connection, and a uniform surface pressure load was applied to replicate aerodynamic lift forces. Both CFRP and GFRP materials were analyzed under identical load and constraint conditions to ensure consistency in comparative evaluation. The results reveal that CFRP exhibits superior stiffness and lower deflection compared to GFRP, which demonstrates higher flexibility and greater strain under the same loading scenario. Such findings underline CFRP’s suitability for high-performance and endurance drones, while GFRP remains a viable choice for costsensitive or short-range applications. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on composite applications in aerospace and drone structures, emphasizing the balance between material cost, performance, and weight efficiency. Future work can expand this study to dynamic and fatigue analyses, explore hybrid composites, and incorporate experimental validation.