Disposable Plywood Glider Drones

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: JJRichey

Picture a cardboard box made out of 1/4" MDO. That's the idea.

Picture a foam board box covered in carbon fiber fabric.

Less weight, potentially similar payload capacity (depends on proper structural design), similar cost.

I used to build high altitude rocket launch tubes out of off-the-shelf foam board and packing tape 20-25 years ago. Tubes were around 8 feet long and a foot in diameter. No carbon (wasn’t readily available at first back then)

Had one fall about 2000 feet following a post-launch parachute failure. No significant damage to the tube itself, although one of the reinforcement rings got bent.

I love it, its classic technology mixed with a modern technology to perform a role fairly cost effective.

Remember the MULE - robot donkey which carried ammo and water and stuff, would struggle with the power required to be useful. This is a similar concept but uses cheaper parts, fewer moving surfaces and physics instead of advanced metals and complex designs with a power train that doesnt exist yet!

Probably would be even better if they could put a laser locator on it or some other device so once the GPS gets you within range the soldier on the ground who could drop a beacon to get 99% accuracy.

Hpw many magazines is 30kg? Its 30 liters of water, 15kg of steak and 15kg of potatoes so two gliders could drop a nice meal for 30 people holed up in a compound!

Made from a starch or sugar or cellulose type material, injection molded with Lego like building applications.

a reply to: Plotus

Now imagine you make the circuitry made from material that actually sublimates. No need to secure or destroy the delivery vehicle behind the lines...

Not this particular program, but ...

Send them in at night. GPS and other systems should be able to drop them exactly where needed.

a reply to: Forensick

tarting payload = 300kg - not 30

originally posted by: ignorant_ape
a reply to: Forensick

tarting payload = 300kg - not 30

Yeah but thats the mother glider that then launches 10 x 30kg smaller gliders.

Or the Russian doll, glider one flies out 50mi and decants 10 x 30kg gliders who fly 50mi with 10 x 3kg man pack inside which fly 50mi to each deliver 3kg of food to 900 soldiers 150 miles away.

300KG could refuel LAVs and such! Not sure how good a glider would be with 300kg of fuel swishing mind you!

Why wouldn't they use parasail around a collapsable wooden frame?

Might be a better way to go.

originally posted by: lordcomac
Curious they'd use plywood, though. It's wood and glue- expensive, heavy, and weak compared to the thousands of better options out there. Carboard and wire coathangers would be a better start.

Google DeHaviland Mosquito and then come back and talk about plywood.

originally posted by: Bhadhidar

Picture a foam board box covered in carbon fiber fabric.

Less weight, potentially similar payload capacity (depends on proper structural design), similar cost.

50 times the cost.

a reply to: grey580

I am not involved in anyone's project, but I threw out the idea of a rogallo wing-- glide ratio isn't good enough for the range the want. But it'd definitely be lighter and cheaper than the winged designs I've seen.

a reply to: RadioRobert

Bring back Dyna-soar.

a reply to: grey580

One of the existing systems is a steerable parasail, iirc. it costs too much. Probably the electronics.

a reply to: anzha

The current CDS a lower glide ratio (range) than they want, and the nonrigid chutes are more affected by weather.

It's more expensive because it is (mostly) reusable. The basic container and chute can both be reused. Certain frangible pieces are one use, but the container is designed to take abuse and be refurbished for reuse.

a reply to: RadioRobert

www.popsci.com...-8

a reply to: JIMC5499

Yep. They looked at first stage Saturn recovery, too.

Ryan did work on everything from escape capsules for planes which were in vogue, supplemental lift for carrier aircraft, flying air boats, RPVs, remote cargo gliders, towed cargo. Google "flex-wing" and Rogallo wings. Everything old is new again


Here's a link to the Ryan archive at SDASM's flicker. Lot's of good stuff in there

a reply to: anzha

pretty neat.

interesting idea making it a glider, if i am remembering correctly wood framed aircraft have a lower RCS.

it wouldn't be too hard to strap a small prop or even 2 of those small hobby turbines to make this a good drone. j

a reply to: penroc3

propellors instantly obliterate any RSC benefits of plywood fuselage // wings

originally posted by: anzha

Logistics Gliders Inc just completed testing for the USMC of drone gliders made from plywood. These are intended to be disposable UAVs to drop supplies to troops. They can be dropped from helicopters or even from cargo planes. The most expensive bit about them is probably the electronics and even those are pretty cheap: they're cheaper than the JPADS or CDS systems currently used and the plan is to get the gliders down to less than $1k each.

LGI is working on two versions, one to carry 300 kg and another to carry 700 kg. Their range is about 110 km (about 68 miles).

Pretty basic and pretty cool at the same time.

Not exactly a hypersonic or stealthy or cylon bird, but could have some great potential for logistics out in less than friendly areas.

spectrum.ieee.org...

I'm going to play Office Space here

So what do you do? Well I get dropped out of a cargo plane and take cargo to the troops... Why can't the cargo plane take cargo to the troops?

a reply to: ignorant_ape

of course, but the RCS isnt what is impressive with this glider.