Disposable delivery drones pass test with US Marines [1/2] - Disposable delivery drone.jpg (1/1)

https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/26/...th-us-marines/

The US military is testing delivery drones that can transport supplies over long
distances and be thrown away after each use. Made of cheap plywood, the bigger
version of the two gliders being tested can carry over 700 kilograms, or roughly
1800 pounds. As reported in IEE Spectrum, the scientists at Logistic Gliders,
Inc. revealed that their gliders just successfully completed a series of tests
with US Marines. If cleared for mass production, the LG-1K and its bigger
counterpart, the LG-2K, could cost as little as a few hundred dollars each.

Using unmanned aircraft for delivery is an idea both the military and private
sector have explored for years. Traditional aircraft guzzle fuel, cost money to
purchase and maintain and require a human pilot. An unmanned aerial device
doesn't require any of these things. Companies like Amazon flirted with the idea
of using drones to speed up package delivery, but couldn't overcome logistical
hurdles. While far away from being suitable for civilian use, these latest
delivery gliders may be a step in the right direction.

The one caveat is that these gliders have to first be launched from a larger
aircraft. The gliders can then fly, either on their own or through radio
control, and then belly land or release a parachute. The gliders travel at a low
altitude and don't need an airfield-like landing zone, which as a paper on them
mentions, gives them a lot of flexibility. The unmanned aircraft can fly into
urban environments, small clearings, or through forest and jungle canopies.

In an interview with Engadget, principal investigator Marti Sarigul-Klijn
explained that gliders would outpace both ground-based delivery drones and be
cheaper than the current system of air-dropping supplies by parachute. "Gliders
dropped from a cargo aircraft could greatly outdistance any ground based
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for cargo logistics since the actual
cargo delivery distance is the sum of the carrier aircraft's range plus the
glider's range," wrote Sarigul-Klijn in an email. "A carrier aircraft such as
the C-17 can easily fly 2,000 nautical miles and back. Although most airdrop
systems including parachutes are reused during training, all airdrop systems are
expended during combat missions because it is almost impossible to retrieve
them."

Logistics Gliders, Inc. plans to continue testing its disposable gliders this
year under its contract with the Marines. If successful, the gliders would be a
low-cost way for the military to air-drop supplies across multiple sites or even
transfer humanitarian aid across political borders. You can watch a video of a
test of the LG-2K below:




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