Despite many research studies focus on strategies to improve autopilot capabilities and bring artificial intelligence onboard Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), there are still few experimental activities related to these vehicle performance under unconventional weather conditions. Air temperature and altitudes directly affect thrust and power coefficients of small scale propeller for UAS applications. Reynolds numbers are usually within the range 10,000 to 100,000 and important aerodynamic effects, such as the laminar separation bubbles, occur with a negative impact on propulsion performance. The development of autonomous UAS platforms to reduce pilot work-load and allow Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations requires experimental data to validate capabilities of these innovative vehicles. High quality data are needed for a deep understanding of limitations and opportunities of UAS under unconventional flight conditions. The primary objective of this article is to present the characterization of a propeller and a quadrotor capabilities in a pressure-climate-controlled chamber. Mechanical and electrical data are measured with a dedicated test setup over a wide range of temperatures and altitudes. Test results are presented in terms of thrust and power coefficient trends. The experimental data shows low Reynolds numbers are responsible for degraded thrust performance. Moreover, details on brushless motor capabilities are also discussed considering different temperature and pressure conditions. The experimental data collected in the test campaign will be leveraged to improve UAS design, propulsion system modelling as well as to provide guidelines for safe UAS operations in extreme environments.

尽管许多研究集中在提高自动驾驶能力和将人工智能带入无人机系统（UAS）的策略上，但在非常规天气条件下，与这些车辆性能相关的实验活动仍然很少。空气温度和海拔高度直接影响用于UAS的小型螺旋桨的推力和功率系数。雷诺数通常在10,000到100,000之间，并且具有重要的空气动力学效果，例如层流分离气泡，对推进性能产生负面影响。为了减少飞行员的工作量并实现超越视线（BVLOS）的操作，自主UAS平台的开发需要实验数据来验证这些创新车辆的功能。需要高质量的数据，以深入了解非常规飞行条件下无人机系统的局限性和机会。本文的主要目的是介绍压力-气候控制室中螺旋桨和四旋翼飞机的性能。机械和电气数据是通过专用的测试装置在很宽的温度和高度范围内测量的。测试结果以推力和功率系数趋势表示。实验数据表明，雷诺数低是造成推力性能下降的原因。此外，还考虑了不同的温度和压力条件，讨论了有关无刷电动机功能的详细信息。测试活动中收集的实验数据将用于改进UAS设计，推进系统建模，并为极端环境下UAS安全运行提供指导。