Design of a High-g Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Structure

In 1997, Draper and MIT commenced a collaborative project with the objectives of reducing the risk, cost and time associated with obtaining reconnaissance data. The Wide Area Surveillance Projectile, or WASP, is a small autonomous flyer, which is launched contained in an artillery shell, and then deployed over the battlefield to capture images. The focus of this paper is the structural design of the WASP vehicle, and the manufacturing of components capable of surviving launch loads of 15,000g's. All of these pieces need to be as light weight and durable as possible; therefore they are manufactured in advanced composite materials.