One of the airplane design concepts that potentially allows for significantly increased efficiency, but has not yet been investigated thoroughly, is the inverted joined wing configuration, where the upper wing is positioned in front of the lower one. We performed wind tunnel and flight testing of a demonstrator of this concept, first by applying electrical propulsion to simplify wind tunnel testing, and then the same electrical-propulsion demonstrator performed several flights. As the chosen propulsion method proved to be too cumbersome for an intensive flight campaign and significant loss of battery performance was also observed, the electrical propulsion was then replaced by internal combustion propulsion in the second phase, involving longer-duration flight testing. Next we identified and analyzed two potentially beneficial modifications to the design tested: one involved shifting the center of gravity towards the aft, the other involved modifying the thrust vector position, both with the assumption that electric motors can be applied for propulsion. On this basis, the paper finishes with some conclusions concerning a new concept of electrical propulsion for an inverted joined wing design, combining two ideas: hybridization and distribution along the aft wing leading edge.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology and approach adapted to conduct a wind tunnel experiment on the inverted joined-wing airplane flying model together with the results obtained. Design/methodology/approach: General assumptions underlying the dual-use model design are presented in this paper. The model was supposed to be used for both wind tunnel tests and flight tests that significantly drive its size and internal structure. Wind tunnel tests results compared with the outcome of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were used to assess airplane flying qualities before the maiden flight was performed. Findings: Extensive data about the aerodynamic characteristics of the airplane were collected. Clean configurations in symmetric and asymmetric cases and also configurations with various control surface deflections were tested. Practical implications: The data obtained experimentally made it possible to predict the performance and stability properties of the unconventional airplane and to draw conclusions on improvements in further designs of this configuration. Originality/value: The airplane described in this paper differs from frequently analyzed joined-wing configurations, as it boasts a front lifting surface attached at the top of the fuselage, whereas the aft one is attached at the bottom. The testing technique involving the application of a dual-use model is also innovative.