A designer from Nizhny Novgorod, Alexey Potudinsky, has developed a design for a “retractable” wing for unmanned aerial vehicles. The idea allows changing the wingspan directly during flight, adapting the drone to different operating modes.
A movable section has appeared inside the main wing, which extends outwards. By increasing the wingspan, the UAV gains higher aerodynamic quality, which increases the range and duration of the flight. If the wing is retracted, the aircraft becomes faster and more maneuverable.
The transformable design allows changing characteristics for a specific mission stage — long patrolling, fast flight, or performing complex maneuvers.
Potudinsky emphasized that changing the wing geometry could potentially allow abandoning some traditional control surfaces. For example, asymmetric extension of sections can be used for roll control.