  The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as base stations (BSs) is
envisaged as a key enabler for the fifth generation (5G) and beyond-5G
networks. Specifically, aerial base stations (UAV-BS) are expected to provide
ubiquitous connectivity and high spectral efficiency. To this end, we present
in this correspondence an in-depth look into the integration of rate-splitting
multiple access (RSMA) with UAV-BSs and downlink transmissions. A non-convex
problem of joint UAV placement, RSMA precoding, and rate splitting, aiming to
maximize the weighted sum data rate of users is formulated. Due to its
complexity, two sub-problems are investigated, namely the UAV placement and
RSMA parameters optimization. The resulting solutions are then combined to
propose a novel alternating optimization method. Simulation results illustrate
the latter's efficiency compared to baseline approaches.
