RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE INDICATED AIRSPEED SENSOR IN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES USING NON-PARAMETRIC METHODS
Abstract
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) play an increasingly important role in civil and military aviation, supporting missions ranging from infrastructure monitoring and parcel delivery to reconnaissance and combat operations. Their widespread use in modern transport systems raises the demand for reliable onboard equipment. Among critical subsystems, the Indicated Airspeed (IAS) sensor provides key information for flight control, stability management, and stall prevention. Failures of the IAS sensor – caused by contamination, icing, mechanical damage, or electronic malfunction – pose a significant safety hazard and may lead to flight instability or operational incidents. This study investigates the reliability of the IAS sensor in UAVs using non-parametric reliability analysis methods. Data collected from the SAMANTA maintenance management system over a four-year observation period (2016-2019) were analyzed to determine the cumulative distribution function, hazard rate, and instantaneous reliability function. The research highlights that IAS-related failures account for the second-largest group of recorded UAV malfunctions, underscoring the importance of proactive maintenance strategies. The results provide insights into the operational reliability of IAS sensors and lay the groundwork for the development of predictive maintenance models, improved component design, and enhanced UAV safety in both civil and military applications.