DARPA

ARES

Program

Ken Dorsett

25October 2014

2

What is ARES?

AACUS

ARES

User Defined Payload Modules• Compact Landing Zone – Half of Typical Helo

• Higher Speed Than Helos • Embedded with Infantry• Closed Rotor for Safety• Field-Changeable Payload

Autonomous Control

KMAX• Pioneering

Unmanned Cargo• Gets Trucks Off

IED Roads

• Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System

Transformer Phases I and II

• Modular Concept• Roadable VTOL

Modular Cargo UAS

VTOL ISR

CASEVAC

Separable UAV

Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System

Multi-Mission VTOL Transport UAS

• Highly Autonomous VTOL, Navigation, Obstacle Avoidance, Autoland

• Fly-By-Wire Flight Controls with Redundancy • Intuitive Human / Machine Controls for Non-Aviator Operators

3

ARES Operational Vehicle Vision• Next Generation Modular VTOL Unmanned System

• Field-Changeable Payloads – Multi-Mission with Single Type of Lifter• Compact Landing Zone – Half of Typical Helo• Tilting Ducted Fans - Closed Rotor for Safety and Speed• Highly Autonomous – Usable by Non-Aviator Troops in the Field

Deliver Light Vehicles • SOF Support

Unmanned Cargo• Food, Fuel,

Water, Ammo• Palletized loads

CASEVC• Dedicated

Medical Lift• Humanitarian Aid• Disaster Relief

Small Unit Transport / Utility• Armed Scout• SOF Infil/Exfil

VTOL ISR• Purpose Built Sensor

Pod and BLOS Comms• Longer Loiter w/ Added

Fuel

4

What is the Role for ARES?Point to Point Delivery of Right Sized Loads for Users

=

=

vs. Mass Transportation of Bulk

• Door to Door Delivery at Point of Need• Multiple Units Operating Simultaneously• Each Modular Vehicle is Lower Cost than Heavy Lifter• Autonomous Delivery – Not Tied to GCS

• Emphasizes Design for Max Lift Weight• Speed Secondary • Needed for Outsize Cargo or Heavy Items• Larger and more Expensive Lifter

5

ARES –Modular UAS Concept Integrates Existing Tech

Payload Pods Sized for User Needs• Low Cost – Interchangeable Pods• Payload Protected from Wind and Weather

Closed Rotor for Small Takeoff and Landing Area• Improved Safety for Ground

Operations• Half the Landing Area of

Conventional Helo• Folding Outer Wing Panels

Twin OTS Turboshaft Engines• Reliability and Redundancy• Geared to Cross Drive Shaft• Scalable Systems

Fly By Wire Controls • Triplex for Safety and

Redundancy • Sensors for Automated

Navigation and Landing• iPad style mission

programming

Twin Tilting Ducted Fans• Tailored Duct Shape

for Rapid Transition to/from VTOL

• Mono-Cyclic plus Aero Controls

• Scalable

6

Demonstration Program• Build and Fly Demonstrator in 2015. Show Design is Traceable to

the Field Vehicle– Full Scale Flight Module– Maximum Use of COTS Hardware – COTS Engines, OTS Actuators,

Gears, Flight Control Hardware, etc for Low Cost– Ground Control Station for Remote Pilot UAV Demo

• Demonstrate Core Capabilities of Modular VTOL UAV Flight– Measure Thrust on Ground Test Stand– Demonstrate VTOL and Hover– Demonstrate Transition to Forward Flight and Back to Hover– Demonstrate Basic Handling and Performance in Flight– Demo Modular Payload Delivery and Separable Flight

7

ARES Demonstrator General Arrangement

DUCT DIA

8.5

0 FT

FAN DIA7.66 FT

DU

CT C

HO

RD

2.5

7 F

T

16.2 FT

OVERALL HEIGHT9.87 FT

41 ft SPAN

8

Phase III Demo Flight Test PlanBuild-up to full graduation flight test with cargo delivery

VTO

Climb to 10,000’ Altitude

Return to Test Site

Handling Qualities Evaluation

Vertical Landing

VTO

Manually detach cargo pod

Cruise Fuel Burn Measurement

Handling Qualities Evaluation

FM Returns to Start Point

Transition to Forward Flight

Test Build-up

Vertical Landing

Test site: Yuma Test Center (YTC), UAS &

Aviation Test Facilities

Transition• Controllability• High speed

Hover• IGE controllability• OGE controllability• Maneuver• Translation

Cruise Flight• Low altitude• Fuel flow• At altitude

Repeat tests

with Cargo Pod

And Payload

9

Wind Tunnel Test - Oct 2013 and July 2014

Cruise Transition Hover

10

Demonstrator Fabrication in Process

Duct Fabrication in Progress

Airframe Parts Machined Control Actuators in Test

11

Demonstrator Fabrication in Process

Final Machined Prop Blade Mold

Prop Hubs Machined;Tension Straps Built

Right Angle Gears from CH-53

Gearboxes in Machining

12

Summary• Next Generation of VTOL UAS

– ARES = Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System– Modular VTOL Payload Delivery – Cargo, ISR, other– Designed for Operation by Non-Aviators (Infantry)

• Working toward Demonstrator Build and Test in 2015– Fast Paced DARPA Demonstration Program– Hardware Being Built Now for Demonstrator– Demonstrator will be Remote Piloted

• Working Transition to Operational System– Talking to USMC, US Army, SOCOM, other users– Gathering User Input for Operational Requirements– Incorporate Technologies for Autonomy