Rocket Launched UAV
Aim
The aim of the Rocket Launched UAV project was to fire a rocket with an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in its payload. When the rocket reached a certain altitude, the UAV would deploy midair and fly autonomously as instructed from a ground-based station. Moreover, the UAV would be modified to send data back to the ground-based station from a number of subsystems, before landing safely.
In this project, we hoped to show the many advantages that a rocket-launched UAV can have over a conventional UAV. The main advantages were:
Visual overview over a larger area in a shorter time
Increased range
Improved accessibility to some hard-to-reach waypoints
Approach
To really test the potential of a Rocket-Launched UAV System, the UAV air-frame was based on a proven design. This air-frame was modified to fit inside the maximum diameter of the rocket used. Moreover, the Command Center was programmed to act as the aircraft’s autopilot. Later stages of the project included fitting telemetry to the UAV, test-flying the UAV, constructing the rocket, and implementing safety systems.
Plane Flights
Saturday morning, November 16th, at Swamp Flyers Flying Club Field, the UAV, Alpha, flew for the first time. The plane made three flights, each between five and eight minutes long. It didn’t fly autonomously, but, by radio control, the team was able to test how long it would take for the plane to gain control after being deployed from the rocket. It was discovered that the plane could go from an almost standstill to flying without dropping more than five feet, a very promising result.
Alpha flew successfully again on April 19th. This time, however, the plain’s wings were attached via a scissor wing mechanism. This mechanism was composed of a laser-cut structure and ball bearings, which allowed the plane’s wing to rotate on an axis and fold up parallel to the body. The group drove to the Swamp Flyers Flying Club Field and flew the plane for several hours without any issues.
Launch of Omega
The team packed up their rocket and gear the weekend of April 26th to make the long drive up the the URRG launch in upstate New York. On Saturday, the team launched their 15 ft rocket. The rocket flew perfectly, suprising some experienced members who never expected such a large rocket to fly so straight. Unfortunately, after the charges and backup charges went off as planned, the parachutes were unable to deploy. Despite this hiccup, the team had realized its ability to construct a rocket at this large scale which flew beautifully.
