DARPA/AeroVironment Broomstick UAV

[AeroFranz]

This UAV flew more than twenty years ago (with reasonable handling, I am told). If you are looking for the propulsion system, it's inside the really thick airfoil profile, and exhausts at the trailing edge. As far as i could ascertain, there is no info of it on the web, at least none that I could google using its informal nickname. I recently came across an AIAA paper with information on it, and I will post some more details after someoone guesses its identity.
I think it's a tough one, but if there is someone out there who can guess it right, then he or she is probably a member of this forum!

Good luck!

 

[Stargazer]

This is just SOOOO weird!

Can't even make out the exact shape of that thing, looks surprising it could handle properly for any length of time!

So this is a UAV from the 1980s... Nevada mounts in the background? I'll say "Teledyne Ryan" but honestly I have no idea what it could be...

 

[flateric]

DARPA/AeroVironment Broomstick

 

[AeroFranz]

Ha ha! I knew I should have forbidden certain forum members from participating in the quiz

The following is taken from an EXCELLENT AIAA paper by Mike Hirschberg, which i strongly recommend
"To Boldly Go Where No Unmanned Aircraft Has Gone Before: A Half-Century of DARPA’s Contributions to Unmanned Aircraft", which among other things details the early history of the ancestors of Predator (TEAL RAIN, Amber, Gnat, Albatross...).

Anyway, here's some more info:
"Broomstick, was developed in 1986 to explore the limits of airfoil design and straight-wing, high-lift, high aspect ratio aerodynamics. This demonstrator employed 50% thick airfoil sections with circulation control, using differential blowing to provide lift and control while also efficiently achieving a very lightweight, high aspect ratio wing structure."

"The first flight of the electric-powered demonstrator was in 1987, proving the feasibility of extremely thick airfoils and the ability to control a straight (0 degree sweep), all-wing planform. Initially, Broomstick used horizontal and vertical tails for stability mounted on a circular boom, approximately 4 ft long. First flight without the tailboom was in 1992, after standing down for a couple of years waiting for funding to develop the digital autopilot that stabilized the pitch axis. The angle-of- attack sensor was mounted on a “stick” at the rear of the aircraft; this fed into the autopilot. Putting it behind the wing kept the pitch rate from causing dynamic instabilities with a positive feedback loop into the autopilot, creating natural damping. Broomstick flew nominally around 15-20 mph"

 

[quellish]

This UAV flew more than twenty years ago (with reasonable handling, I am told). If you are looking for the propulsion system, it's inside the really thick airfoil profile, and exhausts at the trailing edge. As far as i could ascertain, there is no info of it on the web, at least none that I could google using its informal nickname. I recently came across an AIAA paper with information on it, and I will post some more details after someoone guesses its identity.
I think it's a tough one, but if there is someone out there who can guess it right, then he or she is probably a member of this forum!

Good luck!

THAT is an Aerovironment creation DAS BROOMSTICK!

EDIT: Teaches me to post before I read the whole thread!
http://avinc.com/uas/adc/broomstick/

 

[Sundog]

I would love to see how this is packaged internally. I was thinking along the same lines for take off and landing of a high speed aircraft that would be a lifting fuselage. Put jet engines in one wingtip and a nose cone on the other and start flying along the longitudinal axis for high speed flight. I don't know if it would have the volume required for the fuel, payload, etc., not to mention transition could obviously be a problem.

I had no idea this existed. Very cool! Talk about a UFO sighting, if any vehicle could generate such reports, this is it.

 

[seruriermarshal]

Darpa Broomstick

;D

 

[Sundog]

Here's a video where the second part shows the broomstick flying. Although, what I found interesting, is that it never gets out of ground effect during any of these flights. Does anyone know if it ever made it out of ground effect? The reason I ask is I wonder if it didn't have enough pitch authority to fly out of ground effect?

Aerovironment Test Video