3012. “”CYCLOPS”” – An Uninhabited Cruise Missile Launcher

Paper

Abstract

The Poseidon Design Group is proud to present Cyclops, an uninhabited cruise missile carrier designed in response to the 1999-2000 AIAA Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design Competition. Cyclops incorporates low cost, low risk technology into an aircraft optimized to carry and deploy Air Launched Cruise Missiles. Its simple configuration, high airframe life, and low operating cost will allow Cyclops to operate far into the future much like the B-52. The most important component to any bomber is its bomb bay, and this is reflected in Cyclops’ design. The aircraft has one bomb bay fore and one aft of the wing carry through box. Each bay houses five cruise missiles in a rotary door configuration, however, the structure for the weapons doubles as a load-bearing member for both the payload and the flight loads. In so doing, Cyclops maintains the minimum total fuselage volume and weight needed to carry the payload. With a cruise missile range of over 700 nautical miles, Cyclops will remain out of the combat theater for the duration of the mission. A benign mission profile drives a small maneuvering envelope, providing an excellent oppertunity for an uninhabited aircraft. The benefits of an uninhabited weapons platform include: reduced parasite drag, reduced empty weight, improved station keeping capability, and reduced training and operations costs. The culmination of the Poseidon Design Group’s efforts resulted in a cost effective, lethal aircraft, able to accomplish the AIAA’s RFP. Cyclops was designed as a standoff delivery platform whose only purpose was to carry ten AGM-86C cruise missiles four thousand nautical miles. Innovation was only allowed when improving Cyclops ability to complete its mission, or reducing the life cycle cost of the aircraft. Cyclops is a result of the Poseidon Design Group’s philosophy, to develop a practical and cost effective bomber that represents the ideal solution to the RFP.