Design and Fabrication of a Low-Cost, Deployable, Rogallo-Wing sUAS

A low-cost, deployable, Rogallo-winged small uncrewed aircraft system was designed, fabricated, and flight tested. Wing design parameters were selected based on a combination of suggestions from the literature and practical concerns. Several deployment mechanisms were iteratively designed and fabricated using polymer additive manufacturing. Pitch and yaw control were accomplished through the use of a conventional empennage. Tail volume sizing methods were implemented with adjustments necessary to account for the unique configuration. Powered flight testing revealed the need for additional static margin to account for the underslung propulsion system. The final deployable system was capable of a glide lift-to-drag ratio of 4.2 at an airspeed of 24 ft/s with a stowed wing area of 0.75 ft2 for the price of a hobby-grade commercially available fixed-wing system augmented with the same avionics package.