Adaptive wing structures

John L. Reed Jr.; Christopher D. Hemmelgarn; Bryan M. Pelley; Ernie Havens

doi:10.1117/12.599922

5 May 2005 Adaptive wing structures

John L. Reed Jr., Christopher D. Hemmelgarn, Bryan M. Pelley, Ernie Havens

Proceedings Volume 5762, Smart Structures and Materials 2005: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.599922
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) is developing a unique adaptive wing structure intended to enhance the capability of loitering Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs). In order to tailor the wing design to a specific application, CRG has developed a wing structure capable of morphing in chord and increasing planform area by 80 percent. With these features, aircraft will be capable of optimizing their flight efficiency throughout the entire mission profile. The key benefit from this morphing design is increased maneuverability, resulting in improved effectiveness over the current design. During the development process CRG has overcome several challenges in the design of such a structure while incorporating advanced materials capable of maintaining aerodynamic shape and transferring aerodynamic loads while enabling crucial changes in planform shape. To overcome some of these challenges, CRG is working on integration of their shape memory polymer materials into the wing skin to enable seamless morphing. This paper will address the challenges associated with the development of a morphing aerospace structure capable of such large shape change, the materials necessary for enabling morphing capabilities, and the current status of the morphing program within CRG.

Citation Download Citation

John L. Reed Jr., Christopher D. Hemmelgarn, Bryan M. Pelley, and Ernie Havens "Adaptive wing structures", Proc. SPIE 5762, Smart Structures and Materials 2005: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies, (5 May 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.599922

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