Transformable gun launched aero vehicle

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• and
• wings deplorable from the cylinder, the wings being one of inflatable wings and unfoldable wings, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration, wherein the wings are inflatable and a first wing includes:
• plural rib elements;
• plural inflatable tubes, each tube being braced by the plural rib elements;
• and
• a wind shell disposed around the plural inflatable tubes and the plural rib elements.

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• wings deployable from the cylinder, the wings being one of inflatable wings and unfoldable wings, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration;
• and
• an inflatable tail section that is inflated while the vehicle is in the aeroplane configuration.

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• and
• wings deployable from the cylinder, the wings being one of inflatable wings and unfoldable wings, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration, wherein:
• the cylinder includes a forward cylinder part and an aft cylinder part joined at a docking joint;
• and
• the docking joint includes a rotation mechanism to rotate the forward cylinder part relative to the aft cylinder part.

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• wings deployable from the cylinder, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration;
• and
• a fuel tank that includes two spaced apart bulkhead walls sealed to an inside surface of the cylinder to define the fuel tank therebetween.

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• wings deployable from the cylinder, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration;
• and
• a parachute that is reversibly deployable from a nose portion of the vehicle while the vehicle is in the aeroplane configuration.

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• wings deployable from the cylinder, the wings being one of inflatable wings and unfoldable wings, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration;
• at least one landing rod, each landing rod being reversibly extendable from the vehicle;
• and
• a landing controller, the landing controller controlling a first landing rod to extend after the vehicle has begun to vertically descend.

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• wings deployable from the cylinder, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration;
• a folding propeller deployable from the fuselage in the aeroplane configuration;
• and
• an engine coupled to the propeller.

A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration, the vehicle comprising:

• a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration;
• wings deployable from the cylinder, the wings being one of inflatable wings and unfoldable wings, the cylinder forming a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration;
• a propeller deployable from the fuselage in the aeroplane configuration;
• an engine coupled to the propeller;
• and
• a control system, the control system including a module to determine when the vehicle has reached a first predetermined state, the first predetermined state defining an initiation of a transition from the ballistic projectile configuration to the aeroplane configuration.