ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Soon, the U.S. Army will be able to deploy autonomous air vehicles that can change shape during flight, according to new research presented at the AIAA Aviation Forum and Exposition’s virtual event June 16.
Researchers with the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory and Texas A&M University published findings of a 2-year study in fluid-structure interaction. Their research led to a tool, which will be able to rapidly optimize the structural configuration for future vertical lift vehicles while properly accounting for the interaction between air and the structure.