A Comparison of Wing Stowing Designs Focused on Increased Continuous Payload Volume for Projectile Applications 2011-01-2782

West Virginia University's Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department is studying the benefits of continuous payload volume in transforming projectiles. Continuous payload volume is the single largest vacancy in a vehicle that may be utilized. Currently there is a market for transforming projectiles, which are gun launched (or tube launched) vehicles stowed in an initial configuration; which deploy wings once exiting the launcher to become small unmanned aircraft. WVU's proposed design uses a helical hinge, which allows the wing sections to be externally stowed outside the UAV's fuselage. Additionally, the design positions the vehicles wing sections sub-bore (or smaller than the guns internal diameter), and flush (smooth and planer) to the surface of the fuselage. The typical transforming winged projectile design considered, stores its wing sections along the center axis of the fuselage. This bisects the payload space and limits the continuous payload carrying potential. Comparison of the designs is based on their respective continuous volume ratio (r_cv), which is calculated by comparing the single largest payload volume () available in a projectile to the total projectile volume (). The ratio for each wing stowing design is determined using models that are created using computer-aided design software. This work explores the design benefits of sub-bore external wing stowage for increasing continuous payload volume.