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82 August/September 2016 | Unmanned Systems Technology PS | One-way UAV U K design and innovation consultancy VIVID/ futureVision (V/fV) has been developing a new horizontal launch/vertical landing (HL/ VL) UAV concept with applications such as time-critical medical aid deliveries in mind (writes Stewart Mitchell). A prime example here would be flying snakebite anti- venom serum, along with the necessary hypodermic syringes, into otherwise inaccessible locations. If carried out by current autonomous systems, such an assignment would almost certainly be planned as a two- way mission – a flight to the destination, drop the medical supplies, then return to base. However, as Dr Donough Wilson, innovation lead at V/fV, points out, “That is manned aircraft thinking. In manned flight, the pilot has to get home and bring the aircraft home with them, but the critical mission aim is delivering the medical aid – fast – not getting the vehicle back to base that day. “So our idea is a one-way mission UAV. Of course though, the UAV is not scrapped, it is just not coming back on the same day, it can be returned by passing aid workers for example at a later time. Delivering the mission is the important factor, everything else is secondary. “When looking at developing a vehicle for a one-way delivery flight, completely new design options are opened up. The mission range, which is doubled, is one of them, because instead of going there and back, it is not coming back, so ‘there’ can be twice as far away.” So what would this type of UAV look like? Dr Wilson says, “It would have four wings of equal size with flat under-surfaces and semicircular symmetrical-camber upper surfaces mounted to a central fuselage. With tubular carbon spars rotating on roller bearings embedded in the wing root/fuselage junction, each wing is capable of rotating independently, altering its angle of attack. That enables the vehicle to climb, descend and turn, without needing moveable ailerons or elevators attached to the wings’ trailing edges. “Each set of wings front and rear are mounted on rotating sleeves; during flight, the sleeves are locked in place and it flies like a conventional aircraft. As it approaches the descent point the aircraft begins to position itself nose down, and as it does so the wings change their angle of attack to maintain forward flight trajectory. When almost vertical, the locking pins that have been holding the rotating sleeves in place are released, allowing the wings to rotate around the fuselage – just as the rotors of a contra-rotating free-turning coaxial-blade helicopter do in an auto- rotate descent. “The blade angles are adjusted automatically to maintain a constant rate of descent. As the vehicle descends, a probe extends from the nose, and as it detects ground contact, the motor goes into full reverse thrust for a soft touchdown and rotor brakes halt the blades’ rotation. Then, as the vehicle stops and topples over, an automatic message is sent to confirm delivery before all electrics (except a low- drain locator beacon) automatically shut down. The medicine is clearly marked in the easy-release payload compartment.” Already two universities have started design development of the V/fV concept, and these will be emerging in the coming months, so the future could be fluttering down near you soon – as well as saving a life in a remote jungle. Now, here’s a thing “ ” The UAV is not scrapped, it is just not coming back on the same day, and this one-way flight opens up design options