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Design Of 'Iris', A Small Autonomous Surveillance Uav, Jennifer Boyce, Ryan Carr, Donovan Chipman, Greg Larson, Nathan Hopkins, Doug F. Hunsaker, W. Jerry Bowman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper documents the design process used for a small autonomous surveillance UAV. The most significant requirements for the plane were size (man-packable), endurance (about 1 hour) and cost (essentially disposable). The plane that resulted, named "Iris", is a tailless plane with a 45 cm wing span and a total mass of less than 200g. During flight tests, it achieved an endurance of 52 minutes. The estimated cost to manufacture the planes was $343, excluding the autopilot.