Morphing and growing micro unmanned air vehicle: Sizing process and stability

An optimized and comprehensive method is proposed in order to design an efficient micro unmanned air vehicle with morphing and growing capabilities. In the sizing process, to select the optimum wing shape, three different shapes are compared based on an aerodynamic analysis, and a tapered wing is selected for the compressed mode. Then, since the wingspan, wing area, wing loading, and other parameters are changing as function of time, a transition analysis is carried-out during the sizing process. By using the calculated surface area and considered aspect ratio for compression and expansion modes, the wingspan is determined as function of time. Considering the estimated weight, the required lift coefficient is calculated and then two types of airfoils are selected. Finally, after completing the optimal geometric design, aerodynamic analyses are carried out to investigate the performance of the growing drone. The proposed strategy for designing efficient micro unmanned air vehicles for a well-defined mission can be utilized and extended to design other growing micro unmanned systems depending on the mission.