EADS Stealth UAV Patent (2012)

[antigravite]

Has this ever been discussed here before? I'm not quite sure.
Looking nice anyway. Matching any program or art renderings? Programmatic hints?

A.

 

[fightingirish]

Like some other UCAV Concepts, this one rolls over / flips over during flight phases. Take-off, targeting, attacking and landing on one side, cruise flight and target approach with max. stealth characteristics on the other side.
Flight software would be a big hurdle, that's maybe one reason, that we haven't seen such concept flying in the white world so far.

 

[sferrin]

Like some other UCAV Concepts, this one rolls over / flips over during flight phases. Take-off, targeting, attacking and landing on one side, cruise flight and target approach with max. stealth characteristics on the other side.
Flight software would be a big hurdle, that's maybe one reason, that we haven't seen such concept flying in the white world so far.

About 99% certain JASSM does the same thing.
1:40 sec.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfvAN2ck3Go&t=1m40s

 

[shedofdread]

There's an [IIRC] Isreali UAV (tailless, man-portable thing) that rolls 180deg prior to landing to protect the camera turret. I don't believe it's that big an issue to do such a thing from a software point of view but you will compromise the aerodynamics. Many of these [swept] tailless designs use subtly washed-out wings and transitioning airfoils across the span to give them a measure of stability. The planform of this design makes it more suitable to use 0twist and a symmetrical airfoil (deflected control surfaces to give a suitable pitching moment). Almost like they thought it through...

 

[antigravite]

Hi there.
Here's a follow up that happens to be a prequel, since the priority filling dates back to 2010.
Released on august 15, 2013 as a USPTO patent application.
Patent included below too.

A.

 

[AeroFranz]

Looks like it has a reverse engine installation.
Dan Raymer patented something similar ages ago (Lockheed RIVET, IIRC).
Can't be good for engine pressure recovery, but then again few things in low observable design are not detrimental to performance...

 

[Avimimus]

Well, it would be easy to shorten the landing run... ;D

It would be interesting to try to figure out how much of a gain in inlet and IR stealth characteristics such an installation could have...

Like some other UCAV Concepts, this one rolls over / flips over during flight phases. Take-off, targeting, attacking and landing on one side, cruise flight and target approach with max. stealth characteristics on the other side.

Any idea on how much lift efficiency would be lost through using a symmetric airfoil?

 

[TAGBOARD]

Since they aren't trimming pitch with a tail, a symmetrical airfoil (no reflex), especially outboard near the ailerons will unlikely work. However, they could use flaperon scheduling to trim pitch I suppose. Coupled with the reverse engine installation, very inefficient. The weight penalty they will incur from the exotic ducting will be high, along with what AeroFranz mentioned in pressure recovery.