Design Limitations of Deployable Wings for Small Low Altitude UAVS

Abstract

Deployable wing technology can offer many benefits to specific UAV missions, most importantly low-volume storage of the wings when the vehicle is not in-flight. Deployable wing designs enable aircraft to be more effective by providing larger numbers in volume restricted applications, such as air, submarine, or hand launches. As platforms become smaller, new avenues for deployable wings arise. This paper discusses issues related to deployable wing technology for small UAVs and some of the limitations for certain designs. In particular, the differences between rigid and inflatable solutions are discussed and example applications are presented. Like morphing aircraft technology, there is not a single solution for aircraft requiring deployable wings. The suitability of low-volume storage on an aircraft will be dependent on weight, span, storage requirements, and the flight envelope.