Unmanned Aerial Vehicles With Fuel That is Part of the Airframe Structure
We all know that there are solid fuel rockets, and that they have indeed provided a good amount of thrust for space craft, satellite rockets, and military missiles and weapons as well.
Why not develop a new concept along these lines, one for micro UAVs or larger UAVs which used the fuel in a solid state as part of the wing structure during take-off and during the mission.
Then allow the solid fuel to dissolve as the flight progressed? How would this really work you ask? Well, in the beginning of the flight, the structural integrity to fly in part would be the amount of strength needed to carry the extra fuel.
Here, the fuel and the wing are synonymous or at least the inside of the wing structure that is.
The concept of the vehicle "eating itself alive" as it were; is similar to the marathons or ultra marathons.
I used to run, and when near the end of the race you were depleted and literally running on guts, body fat, and sheer will power.
You'd also have lost some 5 to 8 pounds of fat and 10 pounds of water weight.
As the aircraft eats the inside of the wing which is made of a poly type plastic, it is dissolved, thus the aircraft converts this into energy and the weight is decreased meaning it flies even more efficiently, as the camber of the wing changes and is reduced.
The last leg of the mission is downhill towards the target for a small micro single mission UAV, and it makes its slow glide to the target or mission end point.
The goal line to win a victory point in the overall battle; thus, scoring points against the opponent.
For a return mission UAV, the wings skin would support the reduced weight from the depletion of fuel, without much structure, so this concept works any way you look at it.
Please consider this on the war on terror.
Why not develop a new concept along these lines, one for micro UAVs or larger UAVs which used the fuel in a solid state as part of the wing structure during take-off and during the mission.
Then allow the solid fuel to dissolve as the flight progressed? How would this really work you ask? Well, in the beginning of the flight, the structural integrity to fly in part would be the amount of strength needed to carry the extra fuel.
Here, the fuel and the wing are synonymous or at least the inside of the wing structure that is.
The concept of the vehicle "eating itself alive" as it were; is similar to the marathons or ultra marathons.
I used to run, and when near the end of the race you were depleted and literally running on guts, body fat, and sheer will power.
You'd also have lost some 5 to 8 pounds of fat and 10 pounds of water weight.
As the aircraft eats the inside of the wing which is made of a poly type plastic, it is dissolved, thus the aircraft converts this into energy and the weight is decreased meaning it flies even more efficiently, as the camber of the wing changes and is reduced.
The last leg of the mission is downhill towards the target for a small micro single mission UAV, and it makes its slow glide to the target or mission end point.
The goal line to win a victory point in the overall battle; thus, scoring points against the opponent.
For a return mission UAV, the wings skin would support the reduced weight from the depletion of fuel, without much structure, so this concept works any way you look at it.
Please consider this on the war on terror.