AIR DROPPED, AUTONOMOUSLY GUIDED, POWERED PARAFOIL SYSTEM AIR DROPPED, AUTONOMOUSLY GUIDED, POWERED PARAFOIL SYSTEM

摘要

The Wind Supported Air Delivery System (WSADS) is an air dropped, autonomously guided, powered parafoil system that was designed to deliver leaflets for the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The WSADS can be deployed from cargo aircraft at altitudes of up to 25,000 ft MSL, or ground launched from a HMMWV with up to 600 pounds of fuel and payload. The WSADS employs a ram air parachute, an aero-engine, a payload dispenser, and a commercially developed airborne guidance unit (AGU). The AGU uses satellite based autonomous Global Positioning System (GPS) waypoint navigation. The mission planner allows the user to define way points and target areas in military grid coordinates and computes optimum leaflet dissemination points. This paper discusses the WSADS design, tests performed to date, and planned follow on efforts.