With UAVs coming into more widespread service in the armed services and all around us everyday, its becoming harder and harder to find and fill specialized niches of operation, and thats where the Guardian comes in. Designed for close convoy support, The Guardian was designed for near instantaneous deployment in contrast to the Raven which requires hand launch. The goal is to have it launch out of a canister mounted on the side of a convoy vehicle, so in ambush situations where hand launch of a support aircraft would be deemed impossible, The Guardian could provide a near instantaneous "eye in the sky."Orginally conceived by me for a 10th grade science fair project last year, I started off with the baics, working mostly just to prove my concept. Pics under my profile......Primary propulsion is a G80 rocket motor, and then once in the air, wings unfold and it becomes a normal electric powered glider. At that point it was only RC with no onboard camera due to "funding" restrictions.In 2007-2008
However this year, working with a Lockheed Martin Engineer as my mentor, I optimized my aircraft by applying math to my design. Wings became high aspect ratio and fins changed shape and grew in area. With design changes made, I moved on to how to actually make it. Utilizing AutoCAD and Solidworks I designed many of my components in 3D to be cut by CNC routing, a vast improvement over the Scroll Saw that I had used in the previous year.In 2008-2009
Other improvements include 99% composite construction for durability and strength. The wings and fins were all covered with lightwight fiberglass cloth and have internal Carbon Fiber stiffeners, a lesson I had learned the hard way after the fins on a flying prototype "dissappeared" when they only had a small carbon support on the leading edge of them.
<</body>As for the electronics, the Guardian will be carrying an autopilot and wireless camera system this year. *knock on wood* I settled on the KX171X 900mHz 500mW Aerial Video System for RangeVideo and placed the order about a month ago, but the components have yet to arrive. So until they do I'm at a stand still except for flight testing which I should be conducting next weekend with high hopes. (videos soon after that) Working with the camera I have the RVOSD as a HUD for FPV flying. Then on autopilot duties I will end up using the RVOSD until my ArduPIiot has arrived and is assembled ;)
Hopefully within the next couple of weeks I'll finish up my testing and post so vids of it in action. After that its science fair in February, and I have my sights set on International Level at INTEL ISEF and try and win back some of the money I have put into this project :)Any feedback and recommendations are graciously welcome, as I will most likely due a continuation next year to finish my highschool research and maybe even take it to college with me...Cheers,Julian
Comments
As far as CG goes, the rocket motor ejects its self after its burn time and as the wings swing foward to bring the Guardian to a near camber CG position, That plus the slight sweep of the wings give the aircraft a normal level of stability in horizontal flight.
Now I just have to put the two together with a heavier aircraft for this years project :)
1. Irregular diameter. Bearing in mind the folded wings create extra pressure within the context of the rocket tube, your length should be at least 10 times the effective diameter of the rocket profile. It appears the design may be shorter than recommended.
2. cp/cg Given the swept wings, the CP will move dramatically. Close evaluation of the f-15 for example reveals that the cp is largely maintained throughout the sweep; in a long, and fully exposed wing, the cp will move dramatically. If we accept that your CG is somewhere near your extended wing line, Then CP must be way back when swept - I think far more than two calibers (diameters). Another issue. "Diameter or caliber" refers to a normalized round shape, while your shape is unique and non-normal to the centerline - so there is no known reasonable cg/cp relationship. You might consider building a smaller rocket without moving parts and with the big wing shapes fixed in position, and play with the length, the fins, and the cg until you are satisfied with the rocket trajectory.
Best of luck.
I was giving some thought to your swing wing issue. I wish I had a firm design or two to suggest, but here is some food for thought. Perhaps you could use components from a pneumatic retractable landing gear system. There are light weight systems out there, and you wouldn't even need a servo and valve to actuate the mechanism assuming the wings are held in place inside of a launch tube in a field system. The rotating component of the landing gear system would/could replace the current pivot point. Basically, instead of swinging a landing gear strut and wheel, the wing is being rotated. What would have been the landing gear strut would extend into the wing itself. Short of that, you might be able to simply use the pneumatic cylinders to extend and hold the wings in place. There might be room in the fuselage tube for a small air tank that holds just enough volume to wing the wings once. Usually, the landing gear pivot box has a locking mechanism built in so you wouldn't have to rely on air pressure to hold the wings in place once extended.
Again, just some ideas to get the design juices flowing.
Paul
Keep at it. I went to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix 2005. You're definitely going to make it there man! The plane I used was of my own design as well, as pictured in my avatar; not nearly as polished as yours is, but same idea.
-Steve
Very nice project, and very impressive for one as young as you. Keep it going. Regarding the swing wing, you might want to search the internet and/or forums (RC Universe, RC Groups, etc.) for radio controlled F-14 projects. There are a number of swing-wing designs out there and they might give you some ideas on how to modify or improve your own.
Hope this helps.
Paul
As for my mentor, I am currently enrolled in an idependent research class at my highschool, and then I take my research to different science competitions (science fair among others). Last year I competed in a local competion, and one of the judges was a Lockheed Missle and Fire Control Director. He was amazed at what I had done, and felt that if I was pointed in the right direction I could have a more advanced project. He invited me to the Orlando facility, where I presented in front of a board of about 12 aerospace engineers and then I got a tour of their production and testing facilities, the unclassified stuff that is ;)
A few of the engineers gave me thei numbers, and I ended up with the chief Aerodynamisist as my mentor.
Are you using the swing wing concept? If so, how are you turning yours, becuase I've grown tired of the bungee and pulley system I am curretly utilizing.
As for the lawn dart part, I know exactly what you're talking about...
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