In this SBIR effort Brandebury Tool Company,Inc. proposes a method of manufacturing low cost dimensionally accurate airframes. A variety of methods will be used to form thermoplastic materials into expendable UAV components. Tooling design will be directed towards monocoque construction with many subcomponents such as moving surfaces and hinge supports molded in place. The resultant airframes will exhibit high strength to weight ratios and be mass produceable by mechanized means. The base effort will result in four prototype vehicles, the phase 1 option will equip two of the planes with powerplants, radio control gear and test fly.
Benefits: The production method proposed will allow for mass production of UAVs at low unit cost. This type of vehicle will be valuable to the military for training and other missions. The commercial applications for a low cost UAV include law enforcement, marine observation such as fish spotting and commercial media use.
Keywords: Thermoplastic, Airframe, Composite, UAV, Expendable, Small UAV, Monocoque, inexpensive
