Supersonic High Altitude Remotely Piloted Unmanned Aircraft System (SHARP UAS)
Faculty Mentor Name
Michael Fabian
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
A research team known as North Texas Near Space decided to test whether or not a RC plane could reach supersonic speeds only through freefall. The most recent test was conducted on October 19 2013. They sent a purchased RC model kit into the air via a weather balloon that rapidly deflated at a height of 88000 feet. The speeds that RC plane reached upon freefall was roughly 493 mph. Our team plans to succeed where they failed by building our own unmanned vehicle that focuses on reducing drag, resulting in a faster maximum velocity via freefall. As such the concept design focuses primarily on reducing the drag of the aircraft. With this primary objective and base concept in mind, further designs can be created in the future as a solution to other real world issues that can be solved with the use of unmanned vehicles. This is possible due to the fact that the forces experienced by the drone during freefall will simulate or exceed the projected forced experienced on the drone with a payload falling at a lower velocity as a result from being released at a lower height.
Poster Presentation
IGNITE Grant Award
Location
AC1-ATRIUM
Start Date
4-8-2016 1:00 PM
End Date
4-8-2016 3:00 PM
Supersonic High Altitude Remotely Piloted Unmanned Aircraft System (SHARP UAS)
AC1-ATRIUM
A research team known as North Texas Near Space decided to test whether or not a RC plane could reach supersonic speeds only through freefall. The most recent test was conducted on October 19 2013. They sent a purchased RC model kit into the air via a weather balloon that rapidly deflated at a height of 88000 feet. The speeds that RC plane reached upon freefall was roughly 493 mph. Our team plans to succeed where they failed by building our own unmanned vehicle that focuses on reducing drag, resulting in a faster maximum velocity via freefall. As such the concept design focuses primarily on reducing the drag of the aircraft. With this primary objective and base concept in mind, further designs can be created in the future as a solution to other real world issues that can be solved with the use of unmanned vehicles. This is possible due to the fact that the forces experienced by the drone during freefall will simulate or exceed the projected forced experienced on the drone with a payload falling at a lower velocity as a result from being released at a lower height.
Poster Presentation
IGNITE Grant Award