AIAA 3rd "Unmanned Unlimited" Technical Conference, Workshop and Exhibit AIAA 2004-6380

20 - 23 September 2004, Chicago, Illinois

An Innovative UAV Design

Thomas C. Nietz* and Scott Baber.†

Northrop Grumman Corporation, Unmanned Systems, San Diego, California, 92127

This paper describes the application of an innovative vertical lift propulsion system to a
special purpose Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV). The propulsion concept is based on the
proven lift fan technology originated in the mid 1950’s, but never extended to UAVs. Early
manned aircraft investigations, originated by the General Electric Company and Ryan
Aeronautical Company culminating in the Army’s XV-5A test aircraft (1964-1972). This
paper advances the proposition that lift fan technology can resolve the persistent problem of
Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, namely, propulsion miss-match between
vertical and horizontal flight. This is accomplished by vertical-lift thrust augmentation in an
efficient manner using the gas-coupled fan-in-wing principle. The concept has wide
application to stealth configurations and is suited to deployment aboard air capable naval
combatants such as the modern DD-21 type destroyers.

I. Introduction
Fifty years ago engineers contemplated the future of flight. Sputnik was unknown, aerospace giants were locked
in a struggle with the emerging supersonic flight technology and the persistent problem of longer takeoff distances.
The practical helicopter was little more than 15 years in production and rockets were reaching the earths
atmospheric boundaries. It is against this backdrop that a quest for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft was
pursued1. Many concepts were offered, few were accepted, as evidenced by Fig. 1.

V/STOL Is Not New

Convair XFY-1 Fairchild
“Pogostick” VZ-5FA Dornier DO-29 Short SC-1

Lockheed XFY-4 Robertson Vanguard 2C Lockheed XV-4A

“Pogostick” M-287 Omniplane Hummingbird

Ryan X-13 Dassault

Ryan VZ-3RY Bell D-190 Balzac
“Vertijet”
Snemca C-450 Hawker P-1127
Bell X-14 Doak VZ-4DA
“Coleopter”
AVRO Car
Kaman K-16B LTV-Ryan-Hiller Ryan XV-5A Herrick
XC-142A Vertaplane
Hiller X-18 Rolls Royce
Curtiss Wright Bell VZ-3
Vertol Flying Bedstead
X-100
VZ-2PH
Curtiss Wright Russia Fairy
Bell ATV X-200 Flying Bedstead Rotodyne

4NP38-001
Figure 1. V/STOL is not new, with 30 aircraft in development as of 1963.

* Advanced Systems Development Specialist, Advanced Systems Development, Northrop Grumman Corporation
17066 Goldentop Road, San Diego, CA 92127, AIAA Member
† Advanced Systems Development Design Specialist, Advanced Systems Development, Northrop Grumman
Corporation 17066 Goldentop Road, San Diego, CA 92127, AIAA Member
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Copyright © 2004 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Three major concepts dominated the VTOL fighter aircraft design philosophies, 1) direct jet lift from the cruise
engine, 2) auxiliary lift engines plus cruise engine, and 3) augmented thrust lift systems. The direct lift concept is
best represented by the USAF/Ryan X-13 Vertijet and the Hawker P.1127 Kestrel. The auxiliary lift concept is
characterized by the Dassault Mirage III-V. Finally, the augmented-thrust, fan-in-wing, lift system was executed by
the Army/Ryan XV-5A Vertifan. Of these concepts, the XV-5A was the only VTOL aircraft based on the premise
that the installed jet-engine was sized for fixed wing flight. Vertical flight was enabled by diverting main engine
thrust to the auxiliary lift-augmentation fans, which in turn, provided the necessary lift for takeoff, transition, and
landing.
Fast forward to today, of the many offerings shown in the illustration, only the Hawker P.1127 and Bell VZ-3
concepts have gone on into production as the AV-8B Harrier and V-22 respectively. They serve niche markets,
primarily for the US Marines, who need organic troop and material insertion supported by close-air-support attack
aircraft. Other than these, the helicopter fills virtually all of the needs for VTOL aircraft operations.
This paper introduces a new lift-fan UAV aircraft concept with potential Navy applications. The approach
addresses the persistent need for a safe shipboard UAV with VTOL capability. A modified delta-wing configuration
is proposed as this configuration provides an optimum platform for the re-introduction of the proven lift-fan
technology of the 1960s. Today, however, advanced engines and materials make the choice all the more appealing,
as technology offers the designer engines significantly improved in fuel efficiency and weight.
To support the Navy, a marinized UAV needs to exhibit VTOL capability, a rapid response, 200-kilometer
radius of operation, 4 to 12 hours on-station endurance, altitude greater than 20,000 feet, modular payloads, and
automatic launch and recovery from ship and shore2. To assure battle space dominance, the UAV payloads must
support Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) activities, multi-link communications, targeting and
designation, all in a survivable package compatible with evolving Navy requirements. Figure 2 depicts these
capabilities in support of a modern DD21 class destroyer.

• Tactical VTOL UAVs

• Radius of Operation 200 km
• On Station 4 to 12 hours
• Time Critical Targets
• Strike/SEAD/ISR Missions
• Precision Weapons Response
• Naval Fires Targeting
• Bomb Damage Assessment

4NP38-002A
Figure 2. Lift-fan VTOL UAV in support of future Navy requirements.

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 II. Lift-Fan Propulsion Background
Before launching into the current innovative UAV
design, a review of the theory and history of the VTOL • Helicopters Favor Loiter / Hover
technology is in order. All air breathing lift systems • Deflected Jet System Favor Short Duration Attack
convert engine power/thrust into a lift force based on • Lift Fans Match Engine Power For Cruise With Lift
the momentum theorem. This is accomplished by Augmentation for VTO Operation
accelerating a mass of air through the system thus
creating a force, in our case, the lift-thrust of the Helicopter
system. And, since the efficiency of this operation is
inversely proportional to the change in speed of the 15

affected air mass, moving larger volumes of air at lower

speeds requires less energy than creating a high velocity 10 Lift
jet. This is why the helicopter, with a large disk area, is (LBS/HP)
such an efficient lifter as shown in Fig. 3. Tilt Wing 50 40 5
30
The history of the thrust augmented lift-fan concept, Propeller 20
10
sometimes referred to as the fan-in-wing concept, began Vertifan 0
3
in the late 1950s at General Electric . An off the shelf Ejector Jet 50
J85 turbojet was used as the gas generator and coupled 100
to a tip-turbine driven fan system. The X353-5 lift-fan 500 Disc Loading

system, depicted in Fig. 4, consisted of a jet engine, Pure2000 1000 (LBS/FT2)

Jet
diverter valve, ducting, and the lift-fan assembly itself.
4NP38-006
The diverter valve controlled the passage of hot exhaust
gas through a duct system to the fans or redirected it for Figure 3. Low disk loading is the key to lift-fan
forward flight thrust. In vertical flight, the valve directs efficiency.
the exhaust to the tip turbine around the outer edge of
the wing and nose fans. After takeoff, movable louvers under the fans directed the flow for control and initial
aircraft acceleration. Once sufficient forward speed was attained for the wing lift to support the aircraft, the valve
shut off the fan airflow, directing all the exhaust
Simple Butterfly Valve through the engine nozzle for normal fixed wing
Directs Thrust for VTOL flight. This operation was essentially reversed for
Exhaust Directs Thrust
and Conventional Flight landing.
for Conventional Flight The gas driven fans act as large air handlers,
moving much larger quantities of air than could be
Pneumatic Power accommodated by the jet engines themselves. Hence,
Coupling is Reliable, thrust efficiency and greater lift with lower exhaust
Light Weight, Minimum velocities. Besides lower exhaust velocity,
Maintenance temperature and noise level, the lift-fan has other
advantages. During takeoff, it consumes about the
same fuel in VTOL and STOL modes as it does in
200% to 400%
fixed wing takeoff mode. It is adaptable to twin-
Augmentation engine operations and with shared cross-coupled
Pitch Fan Driven From of Cruise Thrust
Gas Diverter System exhaust systems provides single engine VTOL
for VTOL capability as well.
Provides Control Operation The major parts of the lift-fan are the front frame,
the rotor, the turbine hot gas scroll, the rear frame, and
4NP38-004 exhaust louvers. The front frame is the primary
Figure 4. XV-5A GE-J85 lift-fan installation mounting and supporting structure for the other
concept. components and also acts as an efficient inlet for the
fan rotor. It is attached to the wing at three points. The fore and aft mounts are at the points where the deep primary
strut joins the bell-mouth inlet and takes all the major loads of thrust, lift, and gyro effects. The third mount, inboard
of the fan, takes only the loads due to gyro moments from pitch and cross-flow. The installation allows the wing to
deform under load without affecting the fan unit. Fan thermal growth issues are also accounted for in the same
manner.
General Electric developed the fan system based on potential requirements for a VTOL fighter aircraft in the
1960s. Following the successful lift-fan ground demonstrations by General Electric, Ryan was engaged to develop a
demonstrator aircraft. Designated the Army XV-5A, this vehicle performed the first lift-fan hover demonstration in

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1964. Ryan integrated twin J85 engines and three lift-fans into the XV-5A test aircraft as shown in Fig. 5. The
aircraft was essentially a conventional aluminum fighter type aircraft with a VTOL propulsion system added to the

J85 Engines Fuel Tanks

Cockpit
Nose Fan
Aft Fan
Mount

Pitch Fan Lower Fwd Fan Wing Fans

Control Doors Mount
4NP38-007
Figure 5. XV-5A aircraft with lift-fan propulsion
system.
design. With an empty weight of 7054 pounds and a
demonstration gross weight of 8844 pounds the aircraft had
significant excess vertical lift from the 15,000 pound thrust
lift system. In the late 1960s the XV-5A was converted with
wider stance gear and was transitioned to NASA for
prosecution of VTOL technology and handling
requirements definition studies. Figure 6 is the 4NP38-008

re-designated XV-5B NASA research aircraft. Figure 6. XV-5B VTOL research aircraft at
NASA Moffett Field, circa 1970.
III. Innovative UAV Application
The preceding discussion described the state of the art, as it was, 40 years ago. Requirements were clearly
derived from conventional thinking of manned aircraft for traditional Army, Navy, and Air Force missions. Today,
requirements are changing and tactical UAVs are being seriously considered for a variety of combat missions.
Missions too dangerous to put a man at risk or too
demanding of the cockpit occupant. For the Navy, the
High Speed Strike UAV
introduction of VTOL capability vastly increases the
number of platforms that can become “UAV air Wing Area (sq ft) 346
capable”. The helicopter fills this role today but they Engine Low BP Turbojet
are speed and endurance limited and generally lack Engine Technology VAATE
survivability features for protection from hostile fire. Thrust Class (lb) 2,700
The subject of this paper poses an innovative lift-fan Main Fan Dia. (in) 62
Nose Fan Dia. (in) 30
UAV solution to resolve the conflicting issues of
Empty W eight (lb) 6,160
shipboard VTOL operations with a survivable, attack, Useful Payload (lb) 1,500
ISR, multipurpose UAV. This concept brings UAV Zero Fuel Weight (lb) 7,660
capabilities, to surface ships other than the aircraft Fuel Weight (lb) 3,050
carrier. For the Navy, the lift-fan concept offers the Gross Weight (lb) 10,710
following benefits:
• Supports Naval CONOPS for 21st Century.
• Expands Operational Maneuver From The
Sea Doctrine.
• Extends Organic UAV Capability to All Air
Capable Ships.
• Provides an Essential Element, in Support of,
the Navy’s Forward Presence doctrine.
To provide this capability, a fan-in-wing low aspect
ratio delta design, as shown in Fig. 7, is proposed. It
addresses the primary Navy requirements, survivability, 4NP38-010A

and safe operation on desk, high-speed dash, and Figure 7. High speed, survivable lift-fan VTOL attack
tactical endurance on station. These capabilities are UAV.
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exemplified in the fan-in-wing design because it is ideally suited to these requirements. The delta wing shape
naturally provides for the implementation of survivability technologies. The resulting large wing chord lengths are
ideally suited to the fan installations. The voluminous central fuselage area, generously accepts the engines,
weapons and landing gear. The fuel system is distributed and managed for center of gravity control. Auxiliary
inlets feed the engines in fan mode to avoid distortion and hot gas ingestion.
The delta wing design also permits a wide range of production designs, from the basic compact survivable
design to an aerodynamically efficient extended wing design presented in Fig. 8. Each wing configuration can be
optimized to the appropriate mission, whether it is time sensitive target attack, area surveillance, or land based long-
range missions. In the fixed wing mode, the design can
accommodate twice the payload and additional external Common Center Body
fuel extending time-on-target endurance. In a military • Avionics & Sensor Integration
environment, this capability permits operations beyond • Propulsion Integration
the control ships direct sphere of influence while • Subsystems
allowing the UAV to return to the ship following the
mission completion and land in the VTOL mode aboard
ship. The design presented is configured for a 1,500-
pound payload and weighs in at 10,660 pounds.
VTOL aircraft design is all about getting “it” right, Basic Planform
and the “it” is a balance of cruise thrust versus lift • Survivability Driven
thrust. This is where the lift-fan principle pays off, as it • Compact Size
allows the design to take the advantages of the fan-in-
wing and blend it into a survivable design. The easiest Endurance Planform
way to look at the problem is to review the classical • Efficient Aerodynamics
power per unit area (P/A) and thrust per horsepower • V/STOL Suitable
(T/P) chart of Fig. 9. The chart is for ducted or fan • Mission Optimized
Fan Performance Characteristics
At Sea Level Standard Conditions 4NP38-012A

10 Figure 8. Alternate configurations mission oriented.

Thrust/Power~Lbs/HP

Lift Fan
Operating designs but covers the range of T/P of helicopters,
Range 10 lb/HP, to pure lift-jets, about 1 lb/HP. The proposed
UAV fan system will be designed to operate in the range
3.3 to 2.6 pounds of thrust per horse power corresponding

1 Weight Range
1 10 100 1000
Power/Disk Area~HP/Sq Ft
4NP38-013
2-Engine SLS
Figure 9. Lift-fan power versus disk loading trade.

to 65 to 130 horsepower per square foot of disk area.

Altitude K-ft

To accomplish the Naval missions in fixed wing 2-Engine

mode, the UAV needs an installed thrust of 5,400 lbs. 95 Deg-F
Diverting this thrust through two 62 in. main fans and
one 30 in. nose fan provides 15,000 lbs. of takeoff lift as
shown in Fig. 10. On a hot day the vehicle can hover at 1-Engine SLS
altitudes in excess of 6,000 ft and its single engine
performance allows it to land safely at 8,800 lbs. The
introduction of advanced technology VAATE engines
reduces fuel consumption by up to 25% over existing Lift K-lbs
engines. This feature gives the vehicle substantial range 4NP38-014

and endurance performance as shown in Fig. 11. Figure 10. Lift-fan VTOL UAV hover performance.

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 IV. Conclusions
The lift-fan VTOL UAV concept is a uniquely attractive solution for providing safe, shipboard capability to a
wide range of surface combatants. Performance associated with jet aircraft and VTOL operation from virtually all
deck configurations is a plus. The enclosed fan system coupled with low fan/jet wake velocities allows safe
operation around deck personnel. The sleek profile of the delta wing design is less sensitive to wind over deck
issues than more vertically oriented aircraft, such as helicopters. These benefits and high-speed stealth performance
make the delta wing lift-fan concept of Fig. 12, a design whose time may have arrived.

45 Lift-Fan UAV Benefits

40
35
Altitude~K-ft

30 Fixed Wing
Flight
25 Envelope
• Deployable On Air Capable Ships
20
• Flexible – Multi-Mission
15 • Safety – No Exposed Blades
• Heavy Fuel Engine – Compatibility
10 • Low Fan Exit Speed – Debris Safe
Transition
5 Flight • VTOL in all Aspect Winds
• Deck Space – Small Footprint
0 • Deck Mobility – Wheeled
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
KTAS 4NP38-015A
Figure 12. The lift-fan VTL UAV concept is a
Loiter Mission - Int/Ext Fuel
uniquely attractive solution for providing safe
Radius of Action 200 Km
Altitude (Loiter) 35 K ft shipboard capability to a wide range of surface
Transit Time 0.25 Hrs combatants.
On Station Endurance 5 Hrs
Attack Mission - 4 Hellfire
Radius of Action 200 Km
Altitude(Transit) 35K ft
Altitude (Loiter) 15 K ft
Altitude (Attack) 4 K ft
On Station Endurance 2.6 Hrs
4NP38-022
Figure 11. Lift-fan VTOL UAV Mission
Performance.

References
1. Anon, “Development of an Operational V/STALL Weapons System,” Ryan Report No 63B078, August 1963.
2. PMA-263 / AIR-4.1.1.5, “Item Specification for the Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle”,
VTUAV Spec Development Team, 47123 Buse Road, Patuxent River, MD 20670, 30 August 1999.
3. Rowe, B.H., “Lift Fans, Cheap, Flexible and Light VTOL Propulsion,” Space/Aeronautics. August 1961, pp 65-69

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