Kingfisher: An Unmanned Hybrid Vehicle for Emergency Response Missions

Abstract

This project entails the conceptual design and analysis of the Kingfisher unmanned hybrid vehicle, along with the mechanical design for a novel actuation mechanism intended for use with the Kingfisher’s variable geometry wing. Emergency response and search and rescue missions are time-sensitive by nature, and unmanned aerial vehicles have recently begun to proliferate in support of these missions. The Kingfisher is an unmanned vehicle that combines the short-area maneuverability of a multicopter and cruising performance of a fixed wing aircraft with novel submarine capability to provide long range, multi-media support previously unavailable from a single vehicle. The Kingfisher achieves these disparate goals by combining a quadruple tiltrotor propulsion arrangement, a forward-sweeping wing, and a free-flooding fuselage. Finite element analyses are presented in verification of the Kingfisher’s structural and aerodynamic characteristics, while both linear and nonlinear simulations confirmed the UHV’s suitable flying qualities and stability responses to perturbations from a trimmed cruise condition. The actuation mechanism for the Kingfisher’s variable geometry wings implements a four bar linkage powered by a linear actuator to securely transition the wings from an unswept to fully forward swept configuration suitable for diving into and maneuvering underwater. This project not only establishes the aerodynamic foundation for future development of the unmanned hybrid vehicle but presents new motivations for quantifying the structural differences between unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned hybrid vehicles.