AUTOMATIC PROBE SEEKING AERIAL REFUELING DROGUE

XAR AND ITS SUBCONTRACTOR DATAPRODUCTS NEW ENGLAND (DNE) HAVE REVIEWED PREVIOUS FLYABLE DROGUES REPORTS. USING PRESENT TECHNIQUES, A DESIGN LAYOUT FOR A FLYABLE DROGUE WILL BE GENERATED. THE LAYOUT WILL BE CONTINUALLY UPDATED DURING THE COURSE OF THE RESEARCH. AFTER REVIEWING AVAILABLE HOMING PRINCIPLES SUCH AS ACOUSTIC, DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE, MAGNETIC, ELECTROMAGNETIC, INCLUDING LIGHT, AN APPROPRIATE CONTROL SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED. THE REQUIRED FORCES AND MOMENTS, WILL BE STUDIED PARAMETRICALLY AS A FUNCTION OF HOSE LENGTH AND DESIRED DRAG. DAMPING OF THE DROGUE AS A FUNCTION OF CONTROLS ON AND OFF WILL BE STUDIED. EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE ON CONTROLLABILITY WILL BE STUDIED. REQUIRED ENERGY TO AFFECT CONTROL WILL BE STUDIED. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH WILL BE TO DISCOVER WHAT COMBINATION OF ACHIEVABLE CHARACTERISTICS WILL LEAD TO A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN THAT WILL SATISFY THE PROBLEM STATEMENT BY THE AIR FORCE. THE FINAL REPORT WILL INCLUDE A DETAILED LAYOUT OF THE DROGUE DESIGN ALONG WITH DISCUSSION OF THE DESIGN'S PREDICTED PERFORMANCE. PRELIMINARY WORK DONE BY DNE IN THE MID-EIGHTIES SUGGESTS A DROGUE WHOSE SYMMETRICAL CONTROL SURFACES ARE LOCATED IN THE APPROXIMATE SPACE OF THE PRESENT PARADROGUE SPOKES, WILL BE CAPABLE OF STOWAGE IN EXISTING HOSE REEL TUBES AND CAN PROVIDE USEFUL PERFORMANCE.