Design and Development a Bimodal Unmanned System

Abstract

The objective of this research is to design and build a bimodal vehicle which can operate in both air and water. The design incorporates a variable sweep wing configuration and a compressed gas thruster to clear the water surface. The wing can be folded back 65° to achieve low drag for underwater cruise and a high aspect ratio for long endurance airborne. A compressed gas thruster was designed using off-the-shelf CO2 cartridges which presses water from chamber to generate thrust that clears the vehicle from the water surface into the air. The hybrid propulsion system with a foldable-blade propeller was developed for the operation in both fluids. This paper covers the experimental test results for the propulsion system with a special designed gear transmission system.