Simplified, Low Cost, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Recovery System

"The Navy is rapidly committing to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in support of fleet operations. Current systems for recovering these vehicles are difficult and labor intensive to employ. KCI, working with Bath Iron Works, proposes to design and build anew UAV recovery device that serves three purposes: launch, recovery and transport. The concept, essentially a multi-functional wheeled platform incorporating a unique, low cost arresting mechanism to capture and hold the landing UAV, will be made using acombination of stainless steel and pultruded composite structural elements fabricated by KCI for this application. We will draw heavily on experience gained in the design and fabrication of a similar multifunctional system for the Air Force. Our proposedcapture system will eliminate the need for the 100 pound device currently carried by the specified baseline vehicle, greatly increasing its effective payload. In Phase I KCI will work directly with BIW to conceive and iterate various system alternatives,compare them with our baseline system, and discuss the best of the alternative with the Navy. We will also develop test methods, fabricate test specimens and perform experimental studies to determine the effectiveness of our proposed vehicle arrestingsystem. KCI's proposed solution for the UAV recovery problem will provide the Navy with a low cost, light weight, corrosion resistant platform that greatly reduces manpower required to laun