Variable Wing Glider Concept

Overview

DG Group Holdings manufactures recreational gliders and tasked the team with developing a proof-of-concept mechanism for a variable wing glider. This mechanism allows for both telescopic and sweep variation, enabling pilots to optimize wing geometry for a range of flight speeds and fold the wings back for compact storage purposes.

Objectives

• Develop single-wing CAD model & test structural integrity with SolidWorks finite element analysis (FEA)
• Fully extend wing from compact configuration (10ft wingspan to 40ft) in less than 20 seconds
• Manufacture 1:10 scale prototype to demonstrate mechanism movement feasibility
• Develop simple control system to transition from fully compacted configuration to fully extended and vice versa

Approach

The team took inspiration from a variety of sources to gain insight into variable wing technology. A few notable highlights include the F-14 Tomcat and international aircraft patents. This research led the team to utilize threaded shafts as the main driving assembly for both the sweep and telescopic movement mechanisms. The sponsor provided an airfoil design, the Wortmann FX 61-163, to base the mechanism around because of prior use in glider design and its large internal area. The team calculated realistic wing stresses using the airfoil geometry and industry standards for glider flight. With a Safety Factor consideration of 2, the team iterated multiple design concepts using SolidWorks FEA. After determining a final design, a physical scale model was manufactured with 3D printed PLA, aluminum shafts, and servo motors to demonstrate the real-world feasibility of the mechanism.

Outcomes

• The group successfully developed a CAD model able to withstand the predicted stresses of glider flight (60 N of force calculated from maximum flight speeds of 200 mph and Safety Factor of 2)
• The scale model mechanism can transition from fully compacted to fully extended in 17 seconds with a simple four button control