| CONTINUUM DYNAMICS, INC.
34 Lexington Avenue Ewing, NJ 08618 | |
| Phone:
PI: Topic#: |
(609) 538-0444
Dr. Robert M. McKillip, Jr. NAVY 04-266 Awarded: 22DEC04 |
| Title: | A Self-Adaptive Refueling Drogue |
| Abstract: | Current technology aerial refueling drogues cannot accommodate the desired range of Navy/Marine refueling missions in a single design configuration. A novel drogue design approach that incorporates aeroelastic structural elements, capable of accommodating a wide range of flight speeds and aircraft types, is proposed for further analysis and development. The concept expands recent Navy work on a fabric-free drogue design, through the incorporation of speed-dependent flexural components, while also significantly reducing the number of parts from current drogue designs. Speed adjustment of the drogue is completely passive, as demonstrated in pre-proposal testing activities. Use of self-adaptive structural modification capabilities promises to significantly extend the drogue's operational envelope to cover all aircraft of interest in the Navy/Marine inventory. |
| NAVMAR APPLIED SCIENCES CORP.
65 West Street Road, Suite B-104 Warminster, PA 18974 | |
| Phone:
PI: Topic#: |
(215) 675-4900
Mr. Carl Calianno NAVY 04-266 Awarded: 22DEC04 |
| Title: | Novel Variable Speed Drogue Refueling (VSD) |
| Abstract: | A Variable Speed Aerial Refueling Store Drogue will reduce C-130 mission time to conduct low speed and high speed aerial refueling. This developmental task will explore novel canopy drogue configurations to meet the challenges of producing the necessary drag at 105 knots airspeed with a configuration that meets the demanding geometric interface requirements mandated by high speed refueling. Another technical challenge which will be addressed, in addition to producing the required drag at low speed, is reduced drag at 250 knots airspeed. Novel methods of reducing the drag coefficient of the drogue as speed increases will be explored. Various configurations will be modeled and wind tunnel tested to determine the best performing configuration. |