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Volume 12
Issue 11
10.3390/aerospace12110977
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Design and Flight Test of an Air-Launched Medical Aid Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle

by
Samuel A. Cherkauer
,
Carson J. Karle
,
Evan M. Hiland
,
Cameron N. Brown
,
Isaac R. Wetherbee
,
Jordan P. Richert
,
Danielle C. McCormick
,
Jacob M. Sander
,
Max A. Welliver
,
Jackson A. Karlik
,
Nicholas Barrick
,
Zackary J. Bauer
and
Brian D. Roth
*
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ 86301, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Aerospace 2025, 12(11), 977; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12110977
Submission received: 13 September 2025 / Revised: 28 October 2025 / Accepted: 28 October 2025 / Published: 30 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design (SI-7/2025))
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Abstract

As technology advances, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being engineered for increasingly versatile missions. The Multiple Environment Deployable Aerial Item Delivery (MEDAID) team, composed of 16 senior undergraduate aerospace engineering students, developed the XM-24 Orca as part of a capstone design project. This single-use UAV is designed to deliver medical supplies to soldiers in contested or remote environments. Capable of being ground or air-launched, the Orca incorporates spring-loaded swinging wings to meet a compact 610 mm stowed width requirement, a defining challenge in this project, allowing integration with existing drone platforms. The design effort was driven by key requirements: the ability to carry two 2.3 kg medical aid canisters, achieve a range of at least 370 km, sustain endurance for at least 4 h, and execute a dash speed of 51.4 m/s. This unique combination of mission requirements including airborne launch and wing deployment, extended range, and payload delivery necessitated an innovative design previously undocumented in the literature. The design was developed through rigorous computational analysis, refined through wind tunnel testing, and validated through a series of ground-based and flight tests. This paper documents unique design challenges and innovative solutions that offer guidance for future development efforts.
Keywords: UAV; flight testing; wind tunnel testing; structural testing; CFD; air frame; folding wings; T tail; air-launched UAV; flight testing; wind tunnel testing; structural testing; CFD; air frame; folding wings; T tail; air-launched
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MDPI and ACS Style

Cherkauer, S.A.; Karle, C.J.; Hiland, E.M.; Brown, C.N.; Wetherbee, I.R.; Richert, J.P.; McCormick, D.C.; Sander, J.M.; Welliver, M.A.; Karlik, J.A.; et al. Design and Flight Test of an Air-Launched Medical Aid Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle. Aerospace 2025, 12, 977. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12110977

AMA Style

Cherkauer SA, Karle CJ, Hiland EM, Brown CN, Wetherbee IR, Richert JP, McCormick DC, Sander JM, Welliver MA, Karlik JA, et al. Design and Flight Test of an Air-Launched Medical Aid Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle. Aerospace. 2025; 12(11):977. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12110977

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cherkauer, Samuel A., Carson J. Karle, Evan M. Hiland, Cameron N. Brown, Isaac R. Wetherbee, Jordan P. Richert, Danielle C. McCormick, Jacob M. Sander, Max A. Welliver, Jackson A. Karlik, and et al. 2025. "Design and Flight Test of an Air-Launched Medical Aid Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle" Aerospace 12, no. 11: 977. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12110977

APA Style

Cherkauer, S. A., Karle, C. J., Hiland, E. M., Brown, C. N., Wetherbee, I. R., Richert, J. P., McCormick, D. C., Sander, J. M., Welliver, M. A., Karlik, J. A., Barrick, N., Bauer, Z. J., & Roth, B. D. (2025). Design and Flight Test of an Air-Launched Medical Aid Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle. Aerospace, 12(11), 977. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12110977

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