Sparrow RPV (oz5118)

About this Plan

Sparrow RPV. Radio control camera platform / drone model.

Quote: "Sparrow is a special purpose, remote-controlled model being used by the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to develop RPV (Remote Piloted Vehicle) technology. This design represents the groundwork of a concept which may someday see the RPV emerge as an operational weapons system performing missions which are presently relegated to manned aircraft.

The advantages of such a concept are numerous. Aircraft no longer limited by man's physical tolerances would be more maneuverable in air combat situations. Hazardous missions such as low level recon, weapons delivery, and target marking could be performed by expend-able RPVs. Other advantages include a high degree of mobility, lower develop-ment, production, and maintenance costs.

What role does the RPV play in civilian aviation? Remote-controlled models have been used for some time as an aid in the development of full-scale aircraft, and more recently as a means of obtaining special aerial sequences for the film industry. Universities and research agencies have utilized radio-controlled models for various projects, among which the development of the Hill autopilot is probably the best known.

Tomorrow's need for special purpose RPVs may exist in such areas as weather sampling, high altitude research, and environmental control. We will undoubtedly see a growth in engine development, control systems, and RPV design to meet these future requirements. Sparrow is one design which could be adapted for use where requirements dictate a model capable of carrying a substantial payload or a model suitable for aerial photography.

Sparrow was designed by a team headed by Aeronautical Engineer Raymond Fredette of the Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Mission requirements for the full-size vehicle called for an aircraft which would carry up to 100 lb of payload and cruise in the range of 80 to 100 mph. Design considerations included an unobstructed forward view for video experiments, and the capability of accepting a variety of payload configurations. As a result, the design presented evolved as the most desirable configuration for planned remote piloting experiments.

The model presented in this article is actually a half-size version of the Fredette design, which was built as an engineering aid, and proved to be extremely useful as a low-cost method of elevating performance, and developing fabrication techniques relative to its fullscale counterpart. A Sony video system was later installed, and basic piloting experiments via video were performed with excellent results.

Sparrow exceeded our expectations in its flight characteristics, and its suitability as a test bed for future experiments. Apart from a lack of readily available engines for models of this size, I can honestly say that we encountered no major problems, either in constructing or in flying Sparrow. Our plane has flown well with a Ross 4 and even better with the Ross 6.

A model of this design as published, or possibly as an enlarged version, might be useful to a modeler interested in performing experiments of his own, or in taking in-flight movies..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to JeffMac.

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