Vanderbilt University NASA University Student Launch Initiative

1. Vanderbilt UniversityNASA University Student Launch Initiative Flight Readiness Review Presentation

2. Mission • Our mission is to design, construct, test, launch and recover a rocket that travels to a mile high altitude which complies with the performance criteria laid down by USLI. The payload shall consist of a UAV, launched at a previously selected altitude, and landed separately from the rocket, following some remote sensing operations. • We are also interested in developing a robust student-based program, which explores the overall scientific and technical issues in rocketry and aerial vehicle design and operation

3. Students Glen Bartley Thomas Folk Andrew Gould Nathan Grady Chris McMenamin Brandon Reed Will Runge Alex Sobey Greg Todd Advisors Professor Dr. A.V. Anilkumar Safety Officer Robin Midgett Army Engineer Dr. Patrick Taylor Rocket Enthusiasts Rodney McMillan and Russell Bruner The Team

4. Where We Are… • We have completed our first full size test launch, proven our payload deployment mechanism and have fabricated two uniquely designed prototype UAVs • Ready for Launch Competition

5. Justification of Rocket Deployment • The rocket takes the UAV to its maximum altitude before using any battery life • Range is now glide from starting altitude plus powered flight from battery • Available area available for surveillance is greatly increased

6. Actual Range • Potential 3 mile ceiling for UAV and Rocket • 10:1 Glide Ratio equals 30 miles of glide range • Previous powered range of 6 miles increased since level flight requires less energy than climbing flight • Estimated Total Range of 42+ miles • 7 TIMES GREATER RANGE OF SAME UAV DEPLOYED FROM ROCKET

7. UAV Design History • 2 Wing Rotation Concepts: • Split Wing Rotation: • Longer Wingspan, Sacrifice Chord Length • Single Wing Rotation • Larger Chord Length, Sacrifice Wingspan

8. UAV Testing • Wing Rotation Limitations: • Larger chord length yielded better flight characteristics • Single wing rotation mechanism became the primary design • 3 Test Gliders: • Adjustable wing position glider: Determined the desired center of gravity of entire craft with respect to the quarter chord length of the wing • Dihedral wing glider: Demonstrated the static stability advantages of a dihedral wing • Full weight and dimensions with control surfaces: Concluded that the results from the previous gliders were applicable at full scale

9. Airfoil and Wing Dimensions Max Camber Position = 2.2 in. Thickness = 1 in. Camber Max Camber= .5 in. Cord Length = 8 in. NACA Designation: 6312 Wing Span: 43.5 in. Aspect Ratio: 5.9 Dihedral Angle: 5°

10. Pictures of Wings

11. UAV Construction • The tail plane, control, surfaces and wing use 2mm and 4mm CoroplastTM (corrugated plastic sheeting). • Fuselage is made from either 1/16 in. aluminum L-channel or 1/16 in. PVC U-channel • Electronics consist: • Standard 8 gram servos • HiTEC Micro 05S receiver • BP 40A Brushless ESC Controller • 450W Brushless Motor • 3-Cell Li-Po Battery

12. Wing Rotation Mechanism Center Axis Locking Pin Hole Stoppers Rotation Spring Locking Pin • Materials: • ¾ in. Acrylic plates • 2 springs • Several screws, nuts, and bolts • Spring driven rotation • Acrylic Stoppers • Locking Pin

13. Pictures of Current UAV Design

14. Pictures of Current UAV Design

15. UAV Test Film

16. Rocket Design • Static Stability Margin • 1.5 ( same as previous test launch) • Dimensions • 10.125 in OD • 14 ft. Tall • 80 lbs (loaded)

17. Rocket Assembly Three main components, each with its own system

18. Parachute Sizes • Drogue Deployment • Size: 4 ft. • Descent Rate: 18.4 m/s • Main Body Section • Size: 10 ft. • Descent Rate: 5.4 m/s • Payload Section • Size: 8 ft. • Descent Rate: 5.9 m/s

19. Motor Selection and Rail Exit Velocity • Motor Selection • Aerotech M1939W • Total Impulse = 10240 N-s • Prop. Weight = 5300 g • Burn Time = 7 s • Rail Exit Velocity • 66.5 ft/s

20. G-force on Rocket from M1939W Motor

21. Thrust to Weight

22. Rocket Airframe • Original Airframe • Thumper rocket kit • Fiberglass over cardboard • 12 feet tall • Airframe Modifications • Payload Bay • Lengthened to accommodate longer UAV • Two standard body sections fiberglassed together • 14 feet new overall length • Fins • Originally Baltic birch • Updated with carbon fiber laminate

23. Carbon Fiber Fins • In order to increase the dynamic stability of the rocket, the center of gravity had to be moved up • Therefore, either weight had to be added to the nose thus creating dead weight or removed from the bottom section of the rocket. • Solution: reduce the weight of the fins by replacing the Baltic Birch material with Carbon Fiber • The specific compressive strength of the carbon fiber was found to be roughly 6 times greater than that of the birch • In order to preserve the center of pressure, the overall fin shape was not altered

24. Carbon Fiber Fin Fabrication • Carbon fiber sheet made in house • Three layers of woven aerospace grade tri-axial carbon fiber cloth • Impregnated with high temperature epoxy resin to withstand exhaust heat • Air dried overnight between sheets of glass • Baked in kiln for 18 hours to finish curing • Over 30% weight savings and twice as strong

25. Launch Pad • Portable launch pad constructed specifically for the large rocket’s demands • Main Parts • 3/16 inch thick 3 ft. square steel blast plate • Four foldable legs • Adjustable feet for leveling • Hinged 16 ft. 80-20 launch rod • Simple, heavy, effective

26. Test Launch Film

27. Flight Test • Test rocket configured with short payload bay and ballast to simulate UAV weight • 1.5 calibers of stability • M1297WP motor with 5417 N*s impulse • Calculated altitude was 3500 ft • Actual Altitude was 3052 ft

28. Deployment Avionics • Four Perfect Flight MAWD altimeters will be used for deployments • Two for the drogue and main parachutes • Two for the UAV deployment • Redundancy in the design minimizes chutes not deploying as needed • The altimeters will be tested in a pressurized chamber before their use • Previously tested Copilot altimeters were used on the test flight

29. Ejection Charge Test • The commercial supplier of the base rocket, Polecat Aerospace, suggested the use of 3 – 4.5 grams of back powder for ejection charges • The test: • Four 256 nylon screws as shear pins • 3 grams of black powder • The rocket was resting horizontally • It was found that this configuration of shear pins and charge amount is acceptable for the rocket’s stage deployments

30. Sled Payload Deployment The weight of the nosecone can produce a torque which turns the piston inside the payload bay tube disrupting deployment. Preventing this torsion in the sled would add unnecessary weight and decrease the amount of volume in the payload bay.

31. Sabot Payload Deployment • The UAV will be encased in two form-fitting pieces of foam and placed in the payload tube • A piston at the aft end of the tube will cause the pressure in the chamber to increase after a 6 gram black powder charge, ejecting the nose cone which will pull the UAV and its foam casing out

32. Sabot Payload Deployment

33. Drogue Deployment Test

34. Main Deployment Test

35. UAV Deployment Test

36. Questions?