Hello all,

I am opening this separate thread as a place to explore flying wing use as a UAV as a follow-up for the discussion exposed here:
www.flugzeugfliegen.com/component/kunena...nik/116-drohnen.html

We currently have 3 prototypes that we use as demonstrators of concept. These are all flying wings with various wingspans, ranges, payload capability, autonomy etc.

I am listing bellow main characteristics for each of these UAV demonstrators:

PHOENIX 1:
Electric propulsion
Wingspan 1.2 m
Payload: 700 grams
Max. speed: 100km/h
Max. altitude: 3500 m
Autonomy: 40 minutes
Negligible IR/radar/acoustic signature

PHOENIX 2:
Combustion propulsion (gas engine)
Wingspan 1.7m
Payload: 2kg
Max. speed: 220km/h
Max. altitude: 4500m
Autonomy: 60-120minutes
Negligible IR/radar/acoustic signature

PHOENIX 3:
Electric propulsion
Wingspan 2m
Payload: 2.5kg
Max. speed: 80km/h
Max. altitude: 4500m
Autonomy: 45minutes
Detachable in 2 segments for easier transportation
Negligible IR/radar/acoustic signature


Besides these demonstrators we have under research a fourth one that will have a wingspan equal to PHOENIX 2 but will use electric propulsion. It's range and payload capability will be greater than PHOENIX 1 while being cleaner and quieter than PHOENIX 2.

In parallel we are investigating the possibility of using a hybrid rocket motor on PHOENIX 2 for "flight segments" that need sudden increase in speed.

All these UAV's can carry a full "sensing" package that contains:
- real time video
- real time telemetry
- autonomous stabilization system
- autopilot
- sensor package (or other payload)

I would be more than glad to receive feedback on this research. Feel free to ask me questions.

Happy landings!
Florin M.

Great, Florin.
I'd expect somebody would be interested. Sigi gave us 2 companies where your know how and experience might be highly appreciated, and I'd try opening you a channel over there, too.
As our scope was to get friends here, let's see who would be interested by our "toys" or who would be piloting one of your toys.

By the way, Florin, is it difficult piloting a flying wing as UAV?

Florin,
what is the resolution of the used videocams and can you see the videopictures life or can you see the pictures after the landing of the drone?

And what means the "Autonomy" time? Does it means that it can fly alone for this time?

Hani

Let me explain, please, and then Florin may correct me:

-they have developed this "toy" which can fly as any remote driven toy driven from the ground.
-they have 2 models, one is electric, one has a stroke engine
-the units are carrying life broadcasting equipment
-they have built in controller for stabilisation and autopilot
-the units are broadcasting to the ground basis, so they may fly away, let's say 15 km away in a mission, and all you can do is play "fly the drone".
-these UAV may be used for surveillance, for some missions whare human been cannot fly, or where expenses would be very high to send a man
-the avatar of florin shows him lauching the bird
-Later on they go to the laptop and to controls
-ground equipment sends and receives to and from the unit, which acts as a transponder

and yes, autonomy = selbstständigkeit, it is the time between take off and landing with empty tank (or empty batteries)

Mr aerospace engineer, was I right? What would you add?

Adi

I just have found today an article about Drones. It is about a record of Stanford studends, who built a Drone. They achived a new world record by flying the drone 2.177m high!

You can find the article here:
news.stanford.edu/news/2009/september14/...lf-pilot-091809.html

There is also a video:

Hi,

Autonomy is basically how much flight time you can get on a full charge of the batteries- for the electric ones and correspondingly on a full fuel tank- for the glow engine one.

If the stabilization system is engaged then the UAV can fly by itself for this amount of time.

The autonomous stabilization system is a commercial based one with some add-ons that we made in-house.

The autopilot is still in experimental stage. We are basically developing this unit as we talk here on the forum.

The camera has 520 horizontal lines resolution and the images can be recorded on the ground station for post-flight analysis. The camera has some potential to "see" through the night.
Additionally we can install a HD resolution camera onboard that stores all the images on a SD card. Once the bird lands one can download the HD movie from the camera to the laptop.
Of course other types of sensors or cameras can be installed on the UAV upon client's request.

@AdiO: Regarding what AdiO said I could add that the range (radio range-uplink/downlink) could be extended even to 100 kilometers range- it all depends on the operational requirements. In the current stage we can fly as far away as 10-12 kilometers.

One should take the current configuration just as an example- variations from the current configuration can be easily accomodated upon certain operational requirements are "emitted" by the potential user.
It is not difficult at all to fly a flying wing UAV. The autonomous stabilization systems even comes to help the beginner. We can design the vehicle (choose the airfoil, wing loading etc.) to be as docile as a glider or as nervous as an aerobatic plane.

The flying wing UAV has basically three flying modes:
1.) manual- in which the human pilot flies the UAV through the use of the realtime video link
2.) assisted manual- in which the human pilot flies the UAV through the use of realtime video link but the stabilization (pitch and roll) is taken care of by an autonomous unit. In this mode the UAV can even fly by itself- you just set it on the desired course and it follows that course while you can concentrate on the camera and take those "nice" pictures that you always wanted to take

3.) autonomous- autopilot is engaged and UAV flies following certain waypoints that you specified on the ground. Upon user request we can add the functionality of uploading another waypoints from the ground while the UAV is still flying.

@ hanibal: I wrote about those students and their accomplishments are really great! I am also curious to find out what autopilot system/onboard systems they used. I sent them an e-mail and I am waiting an answer.

Best regards,
Florin Mingireanu

one is sure, and I got the same idea from the MIT guy: instead of being extremly expensive, this UAV (the one we have been talking about - Made by Florin and his mates) looks very accessible. Ant this would be the goal:
Have an authorised UAV, flying at lowest operational expenses at lowest capital expenses, too!
This is my reason to recommend Florin Mingireanu to any of us able to promote his technology to a higher level, even here in Austria, or in Germany, anywhere in Europe.
The MIT guys look advanced but still behind what I saw at Plasma Aerospace in Romania.

schöne Grüße
Adi
aaah ... PS: www.niac.usra.edu/files/library/meetings...ingireanu_Florin.pdf this is our newest member. This guy thinks big. Anybody any connections to austrian space agency? lol

Hi Florin!

Your birds look definitely very promising! As I am not a UAV-specialist - what would you say are the unique features of your UAVs compared to other projects? Is there something very special, let´s say in terms of production, flight attitude, or features? Are you looking to sell licenses for UAVs or an investor for further developments or is it rather a spin-off product for you?

Best, Alex

Hi there,

I tried to post a message during the week-end but I got some errors from the forum. I hope everything is solved now.

Our flying wing UAV is more compact and more cost effective than other types of UAVs. At the same time the flying wing "architecture" offers one the possibility to obtain maneuvrability and excellent gliding performances in the same "package".
We are looking for business partners as well as potential clients for our products.
We can basically design the flying wing to fit client's operational requirements. This comes from many hundreds of hours of computations and test flights- we came to a point where we can design a flying wing with exact "flight" performances under known conditions. Especially designed airfoils and other "tricks" gives our flying wings very good gliding ratios and extreme maneuvrability when needed.

Best regards,
Florin M.