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to Pipistrel’s sports aircraft such as the Sinus that we work with as a test aircraft, although its weight is still reasonable.” Cardboard engineering Critical to the whole concept of course is the box itself. The initial goal for it was to get rid of the parachute while keeping the contents intact after landing. The first step was to define a set of requirements for an optimal box, according to Roseillier. The design started with an analysis of the parachute flight properties and to find how to counteract the drawbacks of the parachute, namely the drift from wind, the high cost and complexity. The initial tests were carried out by dropping boxes of several designs from the roof of a building. The parachute was replaced initially by a flat panel attached directly to the box. The panel would create a drag force that would keep the box stable during the descent, slow its fall and make sure it always landed on the crumple zone on its base. The panel also provided a high centre of pressure, ensuring that the box’s centre of gravity did not affect its performance. However, having a flat panel on top would never be a practical solution so it was replaced with a set of four fold-out air brakes. The box is made from a single sheet of a type of cardboard that has been selected for its strength, resilience, sustainability, reusability and low cost. Selecting the right material was delegated to partner Smurfit Kappa, whose r&d recommended a ‘virgin’ (non- recycled) cardboard with long fibres that give it strength and allow it to remain strong if it gets wet. Worldwide availability of the material was also important, to avoid the extra costs of shipping large volumes of cardboard around the world. The box will also be fitted with a thermally insulating liner to help protect temperature- sensitive contents such as vaccines. That is being developed by Trip & Co. Next, Wings For Aid needed to learn how the box would behave INTERCONNECT SOLUTIONS FOR UNMANNED SYSTEMS • IP68 for Harsh Environments • Vibration Resistant • RF Shielding • Anodized Color Options • Hybrid Configurations • Cable Assembly Services LEMO’s interconnect solutions are the perfect choice for harsh environments that require a lightweight connection in a compact space. LEMO USA, Inc. (800) 444-5366 [email protected] Contact your local partner at www.lemo.com High Quality Connectors and Cables ® ® Quality Reliability Innovation