<![CDATA[This study develops an integrated aerodynamic optimization and simulation pipeline for fixed‑wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to improve mission efficiency while projecting lower carbon emissions through energy use reductions. A parametric geometry with airfoil selection, aspect ratio, sweep, taper, twist, and winglet controls is optimized using a multi‑objective genetic algorithm coupled to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Objectives minimize drag and mission power while maximizing lift‑to‑drag under representative cruise conditions. A data‑efficient power model links aerodynamic states to per‑mission energy, enabling rapid iteration as a surrogate within the optimization loop. To ensure reliability, the CFD solver was validated against NASA experimental benchmarks for the NACA 0012 airfoil, achieving a margin of error below 3%. The optimization results demonstrate a significant shift from traditional baseline designs. By adopting a non-symmetric air foil combination, NACA 4412 root and NACA 2412 tip, increasing the aspect ratio to 9.8, and implementing specific winglet cant angels, the optimized design achieved a 44.7% reduction in aerodynamic drag. Visual analysis through velocity and pressure contours confirmed cleaner flow fields and weakened wingtip vortices, which directly translate to lower propulsion power. Ultimately, this study delivers a reproducible design pipeline an a Pareto-optimal map for balancing aerodynamic efficiency with structural practicality. While emissions were not measured directly, the documented 44.7% reduction in drag and corresponding decrease in energy demand provide a strong indicator for the potential to lower the carbon footprint of future UAV operations.]]>
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