Aerodynamic Control of Micro Air Weapons

The U. S. Air Force has identified a need to develop innovative technologies that will enable miniaturization of micro air vehicles (MAV), and future micro air weapons (MAW), to allow these platforms to be sufficiently compact to accommodate diverse deployment scenarios. Smaller airframes necessarily require that airframe components be miniaturized to provide adequate volume for mission payloads. In particular, the Air Force has earmarked flight control actuation devices as critical components requiring miniaturization. The conventional approach for control surface deflection in small air vehicle has involved the use of analog or digital servos. The Phase I program demonstrated that piezo-electric actuators could replace conventional servos and provide comparable control and manuverability during radio-controlled flight. The objective of the Phase II effort is to transition from an RC prototype aircraft to a fully autonomous, bird-size, piezo-equipped tactical MAV that exhibits payload and weight benefits relative to conventional servos, while providing the optimum control authority to precisely maneuver the air vehicle. BENEFIT: There are numerous non-military applications of the peizo-actuated control surface technology that will be logical by-products of the military applications. Camera-equipped MAVs have great potential for surveillance and monitoring tasks in areas either too remote or too dangerous to send human scouts. MAVs will enable a number of important missions, including chemical/radiation spill monitoring, forest-fire reconnaissance, visual monitoring of volcanic activity, surveys of natural disaster areas, and even inexpensive traffic and accident monitoring. Additional on-board sensors can further augment MAV mission profiles to include, for example, airborne chemical analysis. Also, RC models may be the most intriguing commercial application for piezo-actuated control surfaces. RC enthusiasts are always looking for the next “gadget” for their gas-powered and electric planes. Today’s electric flight packs generally include a pair a servos, an ESC, and an RC receiver and crystal. It is quite conceivable that future flight packs could include a pair of piezo-electric actuators and a small DC boost circuit, along with the ESC and receiver.