INTRODUCTION

Think of a vehicle that can fly, and crawl, and swim, to order to reach its destination.
Well, initially it may sound like some science fiction product, but it will not, when
proper components and mechanisms are placed in the proper places. Moreover, a
proper blend of technologies is required in creating something out of the box. In this
particular project, we have tried to combine the flying characteristics of a hovercraft,
helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft, for getting the best from all the designs.
Helicopters and hovercrafts have advantages of maneuverability and stability but
when it comes to cruising speeds, airplanes do the trick. For a spy, speed as well as
stability, is equally important, not also in air, but also in and underwater. However, on
land, it can crawl and look for safe places to hide, take shelter, or from where it can
take off and return to its base station. The current design aims to incorporate the
versatility of a helicopter in a drone with fixed wings, which can operate on water,
land and air, with equal efficiency, so that the machine gets accessibility to almost any
location in the world, with ease. LAWTID stands for Land Air Water Tactics
Intelligence Drone.

An Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a type of aircraft which has no onboard crew

or passengers. UAVs include both autonomous drones and remotely piloted
vehicles (RPVs). A UAV is capable of controlled, sustained level flight and is
powered by a jet, reciprocating, or electric engine. In the 21st century, technology
reached a point of sophistication that the UAV is now being given a greatly expanded
role in many areas of aviation.

Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), sometimes known as underwater

drones,are any vehicles that are able to operate underwater without a human occupant.
These vehicles may be divided into two categories, remotely operated underwater
vehicles (ROVs), which are controlled by a remote human operator, and autonomous
underwater vehicles (AUVs), which operate independently of direct human input. The
latter category would constitute a kind of robot.

LAWTID (Land-Air-Water Tactical Intelligence Drone), our project design is

designed to be a combination of UAV and UUV, which can travel on land as well, and
is equipped with stealth and intelligence abilities, making it a perfect spy for the
military, civil and surveillance purposes.

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 Examples of Useful Technologies

It is always useful, and infact very necessary to study and analyse some existing model
and designs, related to ones undertaken project. The designs maybe present in the
industry or otherwise, such as in Research and Development sections of universities
and companies, or in the Defense Sector. A few such designs related to our project is
listed below :

Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey 

is an American multi-mission,
military, tiltrotor military aircraft
with both a vertical takeoff and
landing (VTOL), and short
takeoff and landing (STOL)
capability. It is designed to
combine the functionality of a
conventional helicopter with the A V 22 Osprey in action
long-range, high-speed cruise
performance of a turboprop aircraft.

The V-22 Osprey is a joint service multirole combat aircraft utilizing tiltrotor
technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and
range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land
and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane
capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. This combination results in global reach
capabilities that allow the V-22 to fill an operational niche unlike any other aircraft.
Operated with 4 crew member, it can hit a maximum speed of 509 kmph at sealevel.

Since entering service with the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force, the Osprey has been
deployed in transportation and medivac operations over Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and
Kuwait.

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Mariner 600

Search Systems Ltd, a  UAV manufacturer in the United Kingdom has developed a
UAV-ROV crossover. The Mariner 600 is an unmanned multi-copter with aquatic
landing capability and interchangeable aerial and marine camera views.

Providing a live video feed with military grade encryption, the Mariner 600 is ideally
suited to difficult searches of inland waterways, under trees, riverbanks and quarries.

Designed to the same high specifications as their previous vehicles and aimed at the
cost conscious buyer, the Mariner 600 is compatible with existing Search Systems
ground stations and mobile command units, making it a low cost upgrade to existing
unmanned aircraft assets or an excellent entry to the market with dual aerial and
aquatic capability.

Utilising a multirotor flight control system with surface thrusters for driving on water,
the Mariner 600 is the ideal vehicle for working over water or shallow searches.
Working alongside a dive team, the UAV-ROV crossover provides pre-dive
information on inaccessible points, potential entanglements and an aerial view of the
search area.

A Mariner 600 at work

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Chirok (Teal)

Chirok (Teal) is an unmanned amphibious reconnaissance and strike drone (RSD)

being developed by United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC), a branch
of state-owned Rostec Corporation, with assistance from the Russian Ministry of
Defence.

The Chirok UAV can be used for civilian

purposes, such as monitoring forest fires,
disaster areas, and traffic along roads, as
well as conducting wide-area patrol. The
military variant of Chirok can be deployed
in cargo transportation, surveillance and
reconnaissance, as well as military
assault with onboard bombs, rockets
and precision missiles.
A Chirok at display

Chirok is manufactured fom all-composite carbon fibre material and features an

innovative design with a hovercraft chassis, which allows take-off and landing even in
the absence of a runway. It can land on unprepared surfaces, including snow-covered
fields or handy waterways. It will be capable of operating in harsh environments.
It has two engines and each engine drives a pair of four-bladed propellers in pusher
configuration. The UAV features air cushion, which is fully-retractable during flight,
thus enhancing the aerodynamic performance. The weapons bay eliminates the need to
carry under-wingmissiles, thus enhancing the landing performance and reducing the
visibility of the UAV.

The UAV has a wingspan of 10m and can ascend to an altitude of up to 6,000m. It has
a maximum flight range of 2,500km on single fuelling. Its maximum takeoff weight is
700kg, whereas payload weight limit is 300kg.

Technical specifications of the UAV are expected to be improved further by the

completion of the development.

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 LITERATURE REVIEW
The main purpose of LAWTID will be spying and rescuing and it will be amphibious.
Till now no spy drone has been manufactured which is amphibious (to the best of our
knowledge). So we started studying about the amphibious vehicles, UAVs and UUVs
separately and we came across the following –

 Amphibious vehicles:

Amphibious vehicles are those which are means of transport viable on land as well as
on (or under) water. Amphibious vehicles consists of bicycles, trucks, buses, cars,
military vehicles, hovercraft.

The first known self-propelled amphibious

vehicle, a steam-powered wheeled dredging
barge, named the OrukterAmphibolos, was
conceived and built by United
States inventor Oliver Evans in 1805.

In the 1870s, logging companies in eastern

Canada and the northern United States
developed a steam-powered amphibious tug
called an "Alligator"which could cross Figure 1. Alligator
between lakes and rivers.

In 1932, the SG6 Amphibious Adler entered

the field of amphibious cars. So successful
was his prototype that production began in
1934 at Homburg, in the Saar, with the SG6,
featuring four- wheel-drive and a four-cylinder Adler engine, plus a propeller for use
in the water. This model was later powered by a six-cylinder 2. 5-litre Opel engine.
Two of the most significant amphibious cars to
date were developed during World War II. The
most proliferous was the German
Schwimmwagen, a small jeep-like 4x4
Alligator tug vehicle designed by the 
Porsche engineering firm in 1942.  An
amphibious version of the Willys MB jeep,
the Ford GPA or 'Seep' (short for Sea jeep) was
developed during World War II as well. Many Figure 2. Ford GPA
modern military vehicles, ranging from light
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wheeled command and reconnaissance vehicles, through armoured personnel carriers
(APCs) and tanks, are manufactured with amphibious capabilities.

The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s

and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the
other Warsaw Pact armed forces.

Chrysler LVW-XI (1958) was a project of the United States Marine Corps and
BUSHIPS. First it was built by Borg Warner, in Kalamazoo, Michigan then Chrysler
took over. (after 1963) How, when and why is unknown. The task was to provide a
one-hour time transport for men and materiel from ships 56 km off shore and carry a
5000 kg load up on the landing site and down the highway.
With engine Lycoming gas-turbine 1500 hp, it could attain a maximum speed of 56
km/hr. in land. It had two propellers for water propulsion. The wheels and propellers
are mechanically driven through a series of gearboxes and drive shafts. The wheels
have portal-hubs and can be moved upwards to minimize drag in the water.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) :

By 1883, the first aerial photograph was taken using a kite, a camera and a very long
string attached to the shutter-release of the camera. In 1898, this technology was put to
use in the Spanish-American War, resulting in the first military aerial reconnaissance
photos.
World War I saw the development and testing of various radio-controlled unmanned
aircraft, but none emerged from the testing phase in time to be used before the war
ended.
In the 1930s, the British Royal
Navy developed a primitive,
radio-controlledUAV:
the Queen Bee. The Queen Bee
could be landed for future reuse
and could reach speeds of 100
mph (160 km/h). Instead of
being used offensively though,
the Queen Bee primarily served
as aerial target practice for
British pilots. During World
War II, Nazis developed a UAV Figure 3. The Queen Bee
to be used against nonmilitary
targets. The Revenge Weapon 1,
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an unmanned flying bomb better known as the V-1, could reach speeds of almost 500
mph (804 km/h), carry 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of explosivesand could travel
150 miles (241 kilometers) before releasing its ordnance. Its wingspan was about 20
feet (6 m), and it measured nearly 25 feet (7.6 m) long. In towns and cities across
Britain, the V-1 was responsible for more than 900 civilian deaths and 35,000 injured
civilians. In the 1960s and 70s, the United States flew more than 34,000 surveillance
flights using the AQM-34 Ryan Firebee, a UAV launched from a host plane and
controlled by operators within that plane. The U.S. also employed UAVs called
Lightning Bugs that were released from airborne C-130s for missions over China
and Vietnam. Engineers from the manufacturer operated the aircraft with a joystick
control.

In the late 1970s and 80s, Israel developed the Scout and the Pioneer, which
represented a shift toward the lighter, glider-type model of UAV in use today. The
Scout was notable for its ability to transmit live video with a 360-degree view of the
terrain. The small size of these UAVs made them inexpensive to produce and difficult
to shoot down.

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs):

Development of UUVs goes back to the 1960s up to beginning of the current decade.
During the 1960s initial research was held about the utility of UUVs. Some vehicles
were built to perform specific applications, such as data collection. Later, in the 1970s,
some test beds were developed by different universities and institutions. It was a time
of important advancements in the development of UUVs. Some of the designed
vehicles were:

Special Purpose Underwater Research Vehicle (SPURV), developed by the Applied

Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington. The vehicle was developed due
to the need to collect oceanographic data from the Arctic regions.

L1 and L2, the first diving UUVs developed by the Institute of Marine Technology
along with the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In the 1980s, advancements in computer technology affected the development of

UUVs. Implementation of complex software and control algorithms was possible. In
1980, the first International Symposium on Unmanned Untethered Submersible
Technology (UUST) was held at New Hampshire, USA with only 24 attendants.
Nevertheless, by 1987 more than 320 people from different universities, companies,
federal agencies and 9 countries attended the symposium. Various research programs
started and it was clear that UUVs would become operational systems.

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During the 1990s UUVs test beds turn into operational systems. They were able to
accomplish a set of tasks according to defined goals. Many UUVs were internationally
developed during this time and potential users emerged and contributed in the
definition of mission tasks. At the beginning of the current decade the market
forUUVs was defined. Nowadays, apart from the academic and research field, the
UUV technology has been inserted into the commercial current of the ocean industry.

Examples of UUVs that have been developedfor commercial applications are:

Maridan 600 (M600), developed by Maridan A/S, Denmark. Hugin 3000 In 2001,De
Beers Marine acquired an M600
to conduct surveys at depths of
110-150 meters for hard
minerals off the coast of South
Africa.

Hugin 3000, developed by

Kongsberg A/S, Norway for C
& C Technologies, Inc, a U.S.
based marine survey firm. It has
conducted surveys for offshore
oil and gas surveys in the Gulf
of Mexicosince 2001.
Figure 4. Hugin 3000

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Any research proposal must be backed with valid and relevant research works, made
by imminent scholars. Such research works can be in form of research papers
published in reputed journals or international conferences. A few such research papers
related to our project, are summarised underneath :

Conceptual design of Amphibious Tiltrotor for Rescue Operations : VECTOR -

by Bart Sitek and Wei Yang

A vector is what is needed to "carry" the

point A to the point B; the Latin word
vector means "one who carries".

VECTOR ‐ a high‐speed, long range

Tiltrotor designed for rescue and
firefighting missions. It’s capable of
carrying up to 54 passengers (+ medical
personnel) and a water tank.Next‐gen
configuration, materials and
advanced rotary technologies were
applied into the design of this vehicle.
It’s able to land on a diverse terrain,
including water. It can reach max speed
of 684 km/h and go as far as 1720 km,
which means saving more lives. 3D presentation of the VECTOR

Capabilities of the VECTOR can fulfill the expanding civil requirements and
contribute to the current search and rescue teams in any place of the world.

Objectives :

 Cruise speed: 540 km/h

 Range: 1480 km
 Take‐off from water or ground; land on water or ground. Water includes lakes
and oceans.
 Carry up to 50 passengers
 Ability to siphon water into an internal tank and expel water while airborne

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Main Charactertics :

 Crew: two (pilot, copilot)

 Capacity: 60 passengers or 14 tons cargo
 Length: 12 m
 Width without nozzles: 8 m
 Height: 2.5 m
 Max takeoff weight: 30 tons
 Powerplant: 4 × Honeywell's T55 engine, 4 × 3,631 kW
 Maximum speed: 190 m/s (684 km/h)
 Power/mass: 484 kW/ ton
Aerodynamics :
The aerodynamic characteristics of the design was studied by using Computational
Fluid Dynamics method (CFD). A simplified half‐model was employed into numerical
simulation, owing to symmetry of the geometry. The finite volume codes FLUENT
was employed in the present study. It has been performing well in aerodynamic
prediction for craft.

Transportation Efficiency :

Giuseppe Gabrielli and Theodore Von Karman defined the

specific resistance of a vehicle, E, as maximum motor output power P, divided by total
weight W multiplied by maximum speed Vmax.

E=P/WVmax

The lower value of E means higher transportation efficiency. The transportation

characteristic Wp/W presents the effective capacity of craft. It was seen that the
specific resistance of VECTOR is a bit high, although it can reach very high speed.
This is attributed to the propeller system utilized in VECTOR, the ducted propeller.
The efficiency of ducted propeller is lower than that of open propeller. The VECTOR
has a high capacity in high speed. That means the VECTOR has more effective
payload, furthermore it can carry this payload cruise in very high speed

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Fielding an Amphibious UAV: DEVELOPMENT, RESULTS, AND
LESSONS LEARNED – By Greg Pisanich and Dr. Stephen Morris

In the paper, the work completed on the design and flight-testing of a small,
unmanned, amphibious demonstrator aircraft that flies autonomously, has been
summarised. The aircraft named ACAT (Autonomous Cargo Amphibious Transport)
is intended to be a large cargo carrying unmanned aircraft that operates from water to
avoid airspace and airfield conflict issues between manned and unmanned aircraft. To
demonstrate the feasibility of this concept, a demonstrator ACAT was designed, built,
and flown that has a six-foot wingspan and can fly autonomously from land or water
airfield.

The demonstrator airframe was constructed from balsa wood, fiberglass, and plywood.
A 4-stroke model airplane engine powered by methanol fuel was mounted in a pylon
above the wing and powers the ACAT UAV. Initial flight tests from land and water
were conducted under manual radio control and confirmed the amphibious capability
of the design.

Aircraft Design and Construction:-

Assuming a 2-pound payload for communication and miscellaneous equipment, the

numerical optimization results predicted an aircraft with the following performance
and characteristics:

Cruise speed = 60 mph IAS

Range = 3000 mile (no wind)
Duration = 50 hours
Climb Rate at take-off = 350fpm
Span =12 ft.
Area =12 ft2
Gross Take Off Weight = 87 lb
Fuel = 5 gallons
Power installed =5 HP
[Assumed SFC =0.4 lbfuel/(HP-
hour)]
Figure 5. Layout of ACAT hardware within the aircraft
A smaller version of this aircraft
was designed as the initial ACAT
test aircraft. This prototype would
be used to demonstrate the

11
amphibious flight operations and test the autonomous flight control system. Its
specifications were:

Cruise speed = 35 mph IAS

Range = 35 miles (no wind)
Duration = 1 hour
Climb Rate at take-off = 350 fpm
Span= 6 ft.
Area= 6 square ft.
Gross Take-off Weight = 8 lb

This included a 1 lb flight avionics weight and standard 4-stroke model airplane
engine technology for propulsion.

Avionics Development:-

Flight Control System

The avionics use automotive grade piezoelectric rate gyros, MEMS based
accelerometer, solid-state pressure and altitude sensors, and a miniature 12 channel
GPS receiver. These components are mounted to a circuit board that includes a
Motorola 68336 CPU programmable
in ‘C’, 8 MB flash RAM card for flight data storage, and all interface electronics to the
model
airplane radio receiver and servos.

Ground Station

An integrated ground station is developed that communicates with the flight avionics
through a data modem on the video telemetry sound channel. The ground station
shows the aircraft’s location on a moving map display that is updated every second.
Also displayed are altitude, speed, GPS status, battery voltage, and a choice of flight
parameter plots or live video screen. All of the flight data and video is recorded on a
ground based Video Cassette Recorder for post-flight analysis.

Autonomous Take-Off and Landing:-

The flight software was updated to include algorithms for autonomous take-off and
landing from the Moffett field runway. After several test flights the ACAT
accomplished this milestone on July 5, 2001. The take-off sequence implements yaw
rate, roll rate, and pitch attitude feedback below 50 ft. altitude and then blends in full
control feedback above 50 feet while holding full throttle for take-off. The sequence is

12
initiated when the autopilot switch is thrown. The landing sequence requires that
waypoints be specified to define a 1/2 mile final approach pattern with 2 waypoints at
0 feet altitude. Below 50 feet the throttle is held at a minimum value and
the autopilot flies a constant airspeed (30 mph) approach until touchdown.

Tests of this system were conducted with a reduced GPS guidance gain to cure
previouslyobserved heading oscillations. After the fourth flight they were able to
successfully perform a complete autonomous flight pattern (take-off, landing pattern,
and landing). The only problems noted were:

The phugoid motion needed more damping. Phugoid oscillations resulted in harder
than normal landings causing damage to both fuselages from landing gear loads. They
increased the feedback gain from 2.0 to 3.0 to solve this.

The final descent airspeed (below 20 feet altitude) should be set to 25 mph for slower
descent rate at touch down. Some heading oscillation was observed prior to touch
down and may have due to a slightly too large GPS heading gain.

13
Design and Development of Amphibious Hybrid Vehicle Body Structure – By
Muhammad Zahir Hassan, Muhammad Razil Razali, and Mohd Shazni
Halid

Amphibious vehicle is a concept of vehicle that can be put forward for the purpose of
commercialization, especially in the field of military and rescue operation. This paper
present the development process involve in developing the composite bodywork of
theAmphibious Hybrid Vehicle (AHV). It involves the process of design followed
with the fabrication process. The total design method is used during the selection of
the design stage and transformed into 2-dimensinonal and 3-dimensinal form using
CATIA V5 software. Upon completion of design, the fabrication process is
implemented to complete the bodywork of the amphibious vehicle.

Introduction :

Vehicle body design is one of the important aspects for the performance of a vehicle.
When the vehicle across a medium at high speed, the medium will acts on the vehicle
body in term of resistance. Air is one of the medium of space that
provide resistance when vehicle travelling at high speed due to air space densities.
This contributes to the consumption of fuel use of for vehicles. In this project,
fiberglass is used to fabricate the body due to the lightweight and the strength of the
material. Fiberglass is also a material that can absorb sound effectively due to the
properties of the material that has good damping capacity for noise absorption.

Design Process :

The design stage process of the AHV

body is shown in Figure 1. The early
stage of the design process is to create a
conceptualization idea. Creativity is
required to generate the ideas during the
conceptualization stage.

There are many ideas were produced

but not reported as it actually the
early step in designing process and
several concepts are feasible to proceed

14
to conceptual designs while the irrelevant ideas are eliminated. Once the conceptual
design is finalized, the Pugh’s selection method is employed
to conduct the analysis. The Pugh’s selection and assessment
are evaluated by summation of ‘+’
and ‘-‘that indicate the element present
in the criteria. The ‘+’ will be multiplied
by weigh that been assessed for every
criteria before been total up. There are eight
criteria to be concerned to evaluate the best
selection for the concept design. The final
design is shown in Figure 2. Next, after the
conceptual design is finalized, the
3-dimension design is generated using
CATIA V5 software. Figure 2

Fabrication process :

Fabrication process for the body of AHV

is very crucial stage since all processes are
executed manually and conventionally.
Therefore, the most important aspect in
fabrication process is to produce a good
bodywork that meet the specifications and
identical as possible to the design
selected generate in CAD. The limitation
in this process is to strictly follow the design
specifications for the body of amphibious
vehicle. The fabrication flow process for the
body contains of several stages and it is shown
in Figure 4.

Molding process is the most important stage

where at this stage the quality of mold will
influence the end product of the quality.
A good quality of mold will quicker the time
for surface finishing. The mold is made up
from plywood which is use as a bone of the
mold. As the mould is completed, the glass
fiber which is from chop strand mat and
woven fabrics are used to fabricate the body
by using hand layup technique. Figure 6
shows the hand layup technique.A release
agent, liquid of wax form will be applied
15
onto the mold. This allowed the finished Figure 6. Hand layup technique

product to be removed cleanly from the mold without any sticking problem that will
affect the finished product quality.
After the release agent have been applied to the entire surface mold, resin mixture
which is consisting of polyester resin, epoxy type of resin is mixed together with its
hardener and applied to the surface of the mold. Sheets of fibreglass cloth are cuts and
lay onto the mold, and then more resin mixture is
added using brush a brush or roller. It is important to ensure that no air is trapped
between the fiberglass clothed and mold and roller is used to remove the air pockets
by pushing out the air pockets away from the fiberglass layer. Air pockets will cause
fiberglass strength weaker. To add more layer of fiberglass, additional resin is applied
and possibly sheets of fiberglass cloth also applied onto it. To make sure the resin is
saturates evenly and air pockets are removed, hand pressure and roller are used. The
work is executed quickly enough to complete the job before resin starts to cure, unless
high temperature resins are used which will not cure until the part is warmed in an
oven.
Next, demolding process is executed to
separate the product and mold.
Demolding process must be done
carefully to avoid defects in the product.
The next process is the surface finishing
stage. Car body filler putty and sandpaper
is used to gainsmooth and continuous
surface finishing.The final finishing can
be observed in Figure 7.
Figure 7
Lastly, the body undergoes painting process
and it was assembled to the chassis
by using bolt and nut. The final product
of the Amphibious Hybrid Vehicle is
shown in Figure 8.

Conclusion
The development of body for amphibious
is carried out based on the technical
specification information required.
The process started from the design
selection stage and completed with the
fabrication process of the bodywork.
The AHV composite bodywork produced
using fiberglass suit the AHV capability to Figure 8. The final product

16
work on both the ground and water surface.

PROGRESS OF WORK

We started the work of our project with some initial ideas and imaginations.
Gradually, we put more stress on these ideas and refined them. We did a lot of
research, browsed through lot of online research papers, journals and websites which
provided information regarding similar type of projects. We did rough paper designs
of a few designs which we had in our mind and compared them. After almost a
month’s time intense research and brainstorming, finally we selected an idea, based on
its practicality and feasibility, and decided to work on it. We did an approximate paper
design once the basic idea was finalized, to get a rough idea about the shape and
features of the design. Then, the CAD design process started [2]. We did our CAD
design in PRO E software. Simultaneously, research was also conducted about the
equipments and avionics to be used in our project, to give it the desired features and
performance. This took time, but finally the components were selected, including the
batteries, propulsion devices and other equipments. Then, the material for the body
was researched. We selected FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics)[1] for the body
work, for its strength and anticorrosive features in water. Finally a radio
communication system was chosen for the uplink and downlink of datas, for
controlling the vehicle from the base station and also for telemetry data transmission
and communication of other information.

Concept Construction
This work is to present the conceptual design of a hybrid amphibious vehicle named
“LAWTID”, designed to operate in 4 modes, namely – on the land surface, on the
water surface, under water and in the air. It has been attributed by great high-speed
and moderate range capabilities. Designed to operate on a range of 50 km, this spy
vehicle can cruise effortlessly through the air with a highest speed of 667 km/hr. The
LAWTID not only possesses pros of current helicopter technology, that is, efficient
vertical takeoff and hover capability, but also is capable to take-off from land, water,
land, grass, and other relatively flat surfaces, where it can rest itself properly. It can
crawl in the ground, swim in the water surface and also underwater. Thus, LAWTID
does not care much about any type of hurdle that might come up in the way of its

17
pursuit. All the important aspects, including material, power, propulsion systems,
aerodynamics and stability are thoroughly studied and analyzed. Capabilities of the
LAWTID can fulfil the ever-expanding military and intelligence requirements and
contribute to the current search and rescue teams in any part of the world.

 Development
We started the work of our project with some initial ideas and imaginations.
Gradually, we put more stress on these ideas and refined them. We did a lot of
research, browsed through lot of online research papers, journals and websites which
provided information regarding similar type of projects. We did rough paper designs
of a few designs which we had in our mind and compared them. After almost a
month’s time intense research and brainstorming, finally we selected an idea, based on
its practicality and feasibility, and decided to work on it. We did an approximate paper
design once the basic idea was finalized, to get a rough idea about the shape and
features of the design. Then, the CAD design process started. We did our CAD design
in PRO E software. Simultaneously, research was also conducted about the
equipments and avionics to be used in our project, to give it the desired features and
performance. This took time, but finally the components were selected, including the
batteries, propulsion devices and other equipments. Then, the material for the body
was researched. We selected FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics) [1,2] for the body
work, for its strength and anticorrosive features in water. Finally a radio
communication system was chosen for the uplink and downlink of datas, for
controlling the vehicle from the base station and also for telemetry data transmission
and communication of other information.

The final CAD [2] design is the result of frequent structural and functional changes
over few months.The date wise evolution of the final design is given underneath:

 This is the first design we did on PRO E, based on the initial idea. A lot of
changes has been to it.(22/07/2014)

 The second design is a partial improvement of the initial design. Some

aerodynamic characteristics were bettered in this design. (23 /08/2014)

18
  A
lot
Figure 7. Secondary Design
Figure 6. Initial Design

of functional and structural

changes were made in this design, compared to the previous design. The
aerodynamics were improved by reducing air drag. Landing gears and
propulsion devices were added in this design. (15/10/2014)

Figure 8. Third Design

 In this final design, many

structural changes were made
specially in the bottom part. The
joints, corners and some parts of
the edges were chamfered for drag
reduction. Proper dimensions were
given. New features such as search
lights were also included in the
design.(6/11/2014)

Figure 9. Final Design

19
  Body material:-
Material selection is one of the most crucial parts in doing the entire design .A vehicle
used for rescue missions has to be able to work in various, possibly hazardous
conditions. To make sure the vehicle is safe and reliable, it needs to be constructed
using carefully chosen and well tested materials.
Material selection is one of the most crucial parts in doing the entire design .A vehicle
used for rescue missions has to be able to work in various, possibly hazardous
conditions. To make sure the vehicle is safe and reliable, it needs to be constructed
using carefully chosen and well tested materials.
The material chosen for the fabrication of the body of our prototype is Fiberglass
Reinforced Plastic (FRP)[1]. FRPs are presently one of the strongest and most
durable materials, found for industrial and scientific applications. Fibre-reinforced
plastic (FRP) (also fibre-reinforced polymer) is a composite material made of
a polymer matrix reinforced with fibers. The fibres are usually glass, carbon, aramid,
or basalt. Rarely, other fibres such as paper or wood or asbestos have been used[2].
The polymer is usually an epoxy,vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic, and
phenol are still in use. FRPs are commonly used in the aerospace, automotive, marine,
construction industries and ballistic armor.
A lot of effort has been put by us, into the research of the proper material for our
prototype. After a lot of comparisons, we chose FRP for our design. Aluminum is a
material that comes pretty close to FRPs, from the design point of view of our
particular design. But FRP was chosen because of the following features characterized
by them:

20
  Light weight with high strength
 Dimensional stability
 Non-magnetic and non-sparking
 Rapid installation with standard tools
 Corrosion free and impact resistant
 Electrically non-conductive
 Low thermal conductivity
 RF transparency
The corrosion resistant property of the FRPs in particular, comes pretty handy for our
design because of the significant amount of time the prototype has to spend in and
under water.

 Hardware Inside (Components):-

The following components to be used in our prototype:

 The vehicle is designed with three highly
powered electrically ducted fans (EDF) as
thrusters (Dr Mad Thrust 120mm 11
blade Alloy EDF700Kv, 7kW). These
thrusters propel the vehicle in air.

 3 Separate Turnigy Monster 200

AmpsBrushless Electronic Speed
Controllersare used to control the speed of
each individual thrusters.

 Two high torque servo motors (H-King

High Torque Servo, 12.8kgcm) are used
for rotating the axis (thrust vectoring) of

21
 the rod which holds the two front thrusters together. Another same servo motor
is used for the single rear thruster.

 Three lithium polymer (LIPO) batteries

(Multistar 16000mAh 22.2V 10C 6S1P
Li-po Battery Pack), connected in
parallel (meaning current multiplication,
while the voltage remains same) are on
board, as the power supply system for the
vehicle.

 Three set of servo motors (TurnigyXGD-

11HMB Digital Mini Servo,
3kg cm torque) are used to operate the
control surfaces, namely – the ailerons, the
rudder and the tail.

 For travelling in water, two servo motors

(H-King High Torque Servo,
12.8kgcm) is used to control the valve of
the ballast tank.

 A 250 PSI electric air compressor is used to

fill air into the ballast tank for buoyancy
control.

 Three pairs of brushless DC motors are

used to power the cogged wheels.

22
  A brushless DC motor is used to control the lever mechanism for the
retractabilityof the bogie, when not in use.

 LAWTID has a total of four eyes

(Fatshark 600TVLFPV Tuned
CMOScameras) mounted in four
cardinal directions, for viewing and
spying.

PROPOSED MODEL

This work is to present the conceptual

design of a hybrid amphibious vehicle
named “LAWTID”, designed to operate in
4 modes, namely – on the land surface, on
the water surface, under water and in the
air. It has been attributed by great high-
speed and moderate range capabilities.
LAWTID possesses the characteristics of
both the helicopter and the airplane. It can
take off using a considerable runway, but
when situation demands, it can take off
vertically. This vertical takeoff is possible
because the powerful electrically ducted

Figure 10. Proposed Model

fans (EDFs) propulsion and by tilting the

nozzle of the EDFs [4]. This technology is
called thrust vectoring. LAWTID is the first
drone in the world to use thrust vectoring,
in its size and weight category. The same
EDFs can be used for underwater and on the water surface operations, however we are
using separate EDFs for more controlled maneuverability. For diving underwater from
the water surface, the buoyant force on the vehicle is adjusted with the help of two
ballast tanks filled with compressed air, fitted at the ends of the vehicle. The valve

23
controlling the air flow to the ballast tanks, are controlled by a servo motor. LAWTID
can also take off into the air from the water surface, like the seaplanes.

 Vehicular Operation:-
Air Mode :
LAWTID possesses the characteristics of
both the helicopter and the airplane. It can
take off using a considerable runway, but
when situation demands, it can take off
vertically. This vertical take-off is possible
because of the powerful electrically ducted
fans (EDFs) propulsion and by tilting the
exhaust of the EDFs (Electric Ducted Fan)
[4].
This technology is called thrust vectoring or Figure 11. Tilt Rotor of Bell Boeing V 22 Osprey

tilt rotor concept. Not only for takeoff, thrust

vectoring can be used for steering the vehicle in the air. Along with tilt rotors/ thrust
vectoring, standard control surfaces like ailerons, tail and rudder are present which
enables the vehicle to operate like a conventional fixed wing airplane. Powered with
three EDFs, this creature can generate enormous propulsion power and speed. Owning
to its low wing aspect ratio, the stability has been compromised for the
maneuverability, for obvious reasons.

A ducted fan [4] is a propulsion arrangement whereby a mechanical fan, which is a

type of propeller, is mounted within a cylindrical shroud or duct. The ductreduces
losses in thrust from the tips of theprops, andvarying the cross-section of the duct
allows the designer to advantageously affect the velocity and pressure of the airflow
according to Bernoulli's Principle. When the ducted fans powered by an electric
motor, it becomes an Electric Ducted Fan (EDF).

Figure
Figure 12.
11. Working
A schematics
of an of
EDFparts of an EDF

24
Some advantages of ducted fans over normal propellers are: [4]

 By reducing propeller blade tip losses, the ducted fan is more efficient in
producing thrust than a conventional propeller, especially at low speed and high
static thrust level (airships, hovercraft).

 By sizing the ductwork appropriately, the designer can adjust the air velocity
through the fan to allow it to operate more efficiently at higher air speeds than a
propeller would.

 For the same static thrust, a ducted fan has a smaller diameter than a free
propeller, allowing smaller gear.

 Ducted fans are quieter than propellers: they shield the blade noise, and reduce
the tip speed and intensity of the tip vortices both of which contribute to noise
production.

 Ducted fans can allow for a limited amount of thrust vectoring, something
normal propellers are not well suited for. This allows them to be used instead
of tilt rotors in some applications.

 Ducted fans offer enhanced safety on the ground.

Land Mode: [5]

For its operation on the ground, a wheel bogie is made, which consists of five pairs of
cogged wheels with track belts, in two sets. First front set consists of two wheels and
the rear set consists of three wheels. All the wheels are powered with brushless DC
motors of comparatively high torque and less rpm ratings. This configuration of the
wheel drive ensures high traction and
comparatively slower speed when
traversing on land. Such type of drive
is very necessary in places where the
land surface is not uniform and filled
with lot of undulating and rough
patches. This bogie is fitted to a
platform by a spring suspension

25

Figure 13. Landing gear system

system. This platform is fitted to the framework of the main fuselage, through a lever
mechanism, controlled by a servo motor, for retractable ability of the landing gear. For
steering, differential drive is utilized by the wheels of the two sides. Such a drive
allows turns even at zero degree radius.

Underwater and Water Surface Mode :

The same EDFs can be used for underwater and on the water surface operations. For
steering in water, differential drives of the two front EDFs are used, while the third
EDF simply powers the vehicle. For diving underwater from the water surface, the
buoyant force on the vehicle is adjusted with the help of two ballast tanks filled with
compressed air, fitted at the ends of the vehicle. The valve controlling the air flow to
the ballast tanks, are controlled by a servo motor. LAWTID can also take off into the
air from the water surface, like the seaplanes.

Figure 14. Schematics of buoyancy control of a submarine

26
  Stability Considerations :-

Air Mode : [6]

Though LAWTID is equipped with

highly powered three thrusters, the
normal aerodynamic stabilities of a
fixed wing airplane has been met
up, to eliminate unnecessary usage
of the thrusters to gain stability,
thus making it more power
efficient.

Figure 15. Basic motions and control surfaces of airplanes

Longitudinal Stability

Longitudinal stability is pitch stability, or stability around the lateral axis of the
airplane. Two principal factors that influence longitudinal stability are the size and
position of the horizontal stabilizer, and position of the centre of gravity.

The stabilizer is placed on the tail end of the fuselage to provide longitudinal stability.
However, being situated at the end of the lever arm, it has great leverage. When the
angle of attack on the wings is increased by a disturbance, the centre of pressure
moves forward, tending to turn the nose of LAWTID up and the tail down. The tail
plane, moving down, meets the air at a greater angle of attack, obtains more lift and
tends to restore the balance.

27
The center of gravity is very important in achieving longitudinal stability. The centre
of gravity has been positioned such that it assumes a nose down position under normal
flying conditions. If the nose is up, the inherent stability will be lacking and control of
the airplane in the longitudinal plane will be difficult and perhaps, in extreme cases,
impossible.

Lateral Stability
Lateral stability is stability around the
longitudinal axis, or roll stability. The
dihedral angle is the angle that each wing
makes with the horizontal. The purpose
of dihedral is to improve lateral stability.
If a disturbance causes one wing to drop,
the unbalanced force produces a sideslip
in the direction of the down going wing.
This will, in effect, cause a flow of air in
the opposite direction to the slip. This
flow of air will strike the lower wing
Figure 16.
at a greater angle of attack than it strikes
the upper wing. The lower wing will thus
receive more lift and the airplane will roll back into its proper position.

Directional Stability

An airplane has the

tendency always to fly
head-on into the relative
airflow. This tendency which
might be described as weather
vanning is directly attributable
to the vertical tail fin and to
some extent also the vertical
side areas of the fuselage. If

28
the airplane yaws away from
its course, the airflow strikes
the vertical tail surface from
the side and forces it back to
its original line of flight. In
order for the tail surfaces to
function properly in this
weather vanning capacity, the
side area of the airplane aft of Figure 17. Stabilizing action under directional stability
the centre of gravity must be
greater than the side area of the airplane forward of the centre of gravity. If it were
otherwise, the airplane would tend to rotate about its vertical axis.

Water Mode: [8]

G is the centre of gravity, B is the centre of buoyancy and the line OO is the original
water surface. After tilting O1O1 is the new water line and the angle of Tilt isϴ.
G remains in the same position relative to the ship but the Centre of Buoyancy moves
to  .M is the "META CENTRE" and is defined as the point where the vertical
through the new Centre of Buoyancy meets the original vertical through the Centre of
Gravity after a very small angle of rotation. MG is called the metacentric height. The
Righting couple, responsible for stabilizing the body 

A floating body is said to be stable at its

position, if it returns to that position
following a small disturbance. While
floating, or moving on the water surface,
the stability of a body does not depend
on the relative positions of the CG and
the centre of buoyancy. Instead the
stability of the vehicle for rolling motion
(angular displacement about the
longitudinal axis) depends on the
relative positions of the CG and the
metacenter for the particular position.

29
 Figure 18. Buoyancy

Figure 19. Stability at water surface

For stable equilibrium for a floating body, the Metacenter must be above the Centre of

Gravity  . If the Metacentric height is zero the Body will be in Neutral equilibrium. In
ship design the choice of the Metacentric height is a compromise between stability and
the amount that the ship rolls. In British Dreadnaught Battle ships, for instance, the
metacentric height was so great that they had a tendency to roll badly, even with large
bilge keels.

The design of LAWTID has been done so that the CG and the initial centre of
buoyancy (in vertical position) are quite close to each other. This ensures the
metacenter will always be above the CG, for all practical conditions.

Underwater Mode:

30
Let:

  = Volume of Body.
  = Specific weight of the fluid.
  = Mass of the Body.
  is the Centre of Gravity.
  is the Centre of Buoyancy
and is the centre of gravity of
the displaced liquid.

If: Figure 19. Underwater stability

  and   are coincident then the Body

will be in Neutral equilibrium.
  is below   then the Body is in Unstable equilibrium.
  is above   then the body is in Stable equilibrium.

This last case has a righting couple of  . Where   is the angle of tilt. Note
that the Position of   and  relative to the Body does not change when the body is
rotated.

What equilibrium a body enjoys is decided by the couple formed by the weight of the
body and the buoyancy force. In general, if the center of gravity of the body lies below
the center of buoyancy stable equilibrium prevails. An overturning couple leading to
unstable equilibrium results if the center of gravity is above the center of buoyancy.
Thus it becomes obvious for the designer to design the vehicle in such a way, that the
overturning couple can never come into existence. This condition should be achieved
and for that, the mass distribution inside the vehicle has been done accordingly, so
that, the CG remains below the centre of buoyancy. The following diagrams explain
the effect of restoring and overturning
couples on an immersed object.

31
 Figure 20. Underwater stability

 Characteristics Data :-

1) Capacity : Unmanned

2) Crew: None onboard. (controlled from base control station)

3) Power plant Type : Lithium-Polymer battery

4) Weight : 21 kg

5) Length: 75 cm

32
 6) Wing Span: 50 cm

7) Height(with retracted wheel bogie) : 26.4 cm

8) Control System : Wireless Radio

9) Power at full thrust per EDF: 12 kW

10) EDF Inner Diameter:  120mm

11) EDF Weight:  1008g (complete unit with 4mm connectors)

12) Max Engine RPM:  35,000

13) Continuous Power:  6500w

14) Max Thrust:  7.5kg (per EDF)

15) Minimum Battery Capacity: 3 X 16000 mah

 Performance Data and Calculations :-

Vehicular performance is estimated depending on the mission requirements. These

parameters determine the dimensions of the vehicle structure and the choice of
propulsion system .All the performance parameters of our design are listed below:

 Maximum Speed In Air : 667kmph

 Maximum Speed Under Water : 26kmph
 Maximum Speed On Land Surface : 13.56 kmph
 Maximum Accessible Depth in Water : 25 meters
 Maximum Range of Control: 50 km
 Maximum Runtime : 9 minutes
 Maximum Range of Flight : 50 km (technically 100kms, with increased range
of control)

33
Calculations :

Maximum Speed in land surface

The total weight of our vehicle is 21 kgf

Therefore, weight on each wheel, N = 21/10 = 2.1 kgf

Assuming a frictional coefficient, µ of 0.8 (moderately high), the friction force on

each wheel =µ * N = 1.68 kgf

We have wheel diameter of 80 mm (including track belt).

Thus, wheel radius r, = 80/2 = 40 mm = 4 cm

Therefore, torque required per wheel = Frictional force * radius

= 1.68 * 4 kgfcm = 6.72 kgf cm

Therefore, we had to choose a motor which would deliver considerable amount to

torque to overcome the required torque. Hence we chose RobokitsHigh Torque DC
Geared Motor 900RPM.

Characteristics of the motor:

 900RPM 12V DC motors with Metal Gearbox and Metal Gears

 18000 RPM base motor
 Length 63 mm without shaft
 Shaft length 30mm
 180gm weight
 12kgcm torque
 No-load current = 800 mA,
 Load current = up to 7.5 A(Max)

Now, Max Linear speed of motor = 2πrN/60 where N= motor RPM

= 2*3.14*.04*900/60
= 3.768 m/s= 13.56 kmph

The maximum speed in land surface is13.56 kmph.

34
Maximum speed in air [9]

The standard Drag Equation :FD = ρU2CDA/2

Where, FD = Drag Force, ρ = density of fluid, CD = Drag Coefficient

U = Relative velocity of fluid and body, A = Reference Area

The choice of reference area A, depends on the value of Drag Coefficient CD.

Now, we know, Power = Force * velocity

Therefore, Drag power = Drag force * relative velocity of body w.r.t fluid
= ρU2CDA/2 * U = ρU3CDA/2

Assuming no other resistive power other than drag, the drag power must be equal to
the maximum thrust power, P, at maximum speed.

Thus, Max Thrust power, P = Drag power

= ρUmax3CDA/2
1 /3
2P
Or, Umax = ( ρC A )
The Max power, P of our engine = 7000*3 watts = 21000 watts
Density of air at sea level, ρ = 1.204 kg/m3
Drag Coefficient, CD = 0.05
Reference Area, A (Frontal Area) = 0.11 m2

Therefore, Umax = 185 m/s = 667 kmph

The maximum speed in air is 667 kmph.

Maximum speed under water: [9]

The standard Drag Equation :FD = ρU2CDA/2

Where, FD = Drag Force, ρ = density of fluid, CD = Drag Coefficient

U = Relative velocity of fluid and body, A = Reference Area

35
The choice of reference area A, depends on the value of Drag Coefficient CD.

Now, we know, Power = Force * velocity

Therefore, Drag power = Drag force * relative velocity of body w.r.t fluid
= ρU2CDA/2 * U = ρU3CDA/2

Assuming no other resistive power other than drag, the drag power must be equal to
the maximum thrust power, P, at maximum speed.

Thus, Max Thrust power, P = Drag power

= ρUmax 3CDA/2
1 /3
2P
Or, Umax = ( ρC A )
The Max power of our engine, P = 405*2watts = 810 watts
Density of water at sea level, ρ = 1000 kg/m3
Drag Coefficient, CD = 0.04
Reference Area, A (Frontal Area) = 0.11 m2

Therefore, Umax= 7.17 m/s = 26 kmph

The maximum speed underwater is 26 kmph.

Maximum Runtime: [7]

Our powersource is 3 LIPOS of 16000 mah each, connected in parallel. Parallel

connection means current gets multiplied but the voltage remains same (as of a single
LIPO). That means,

Net capacity of power source = 3* 16000 = 48000 mah = 48 Ah

Current consumed per thruster at peak power = 140 Amps

Therefore, Current consumed by 3 thrusters at peak power = 3 * 140
= 420 Amps

Current consumed per thruster at mean power = 90 Amps

Current consumed by 3 thrusters at mean power = 3 * 90 = 270 Amps

36
Assuming, the vehicle is operated at peak for one fourth of the time, the weighted
420∗2.5+270∗7.5
average of consumed current by the thrusters = 10
= 307.5 Amps

Battery Capacity(¿ Ah)

Therefore, Runtime (in hours) = Current consumption(¿ Amps)
=48/307.5 = 0.15 hours

Therefore, Runtime in minutes = 0.15 * 60 = 9 minutes

It must be mentioned here that the current consumption in other modes of operations
are not more than that in air mode. Thus runtime calculation in other modes are not
needed.

Power System :-

Powerplant used :

The powerplants used in our design are three high powered Electrical Ducted Fans
(EDFs), which are used as thrusters. The thrusters are Dr Mad Thrust 120mm 11
blade Alloy EDF 700Kv, 7kW.

Specs:

EDF Inner Diameter:  120mm

Outer Diameter:  125mm
Construction:  Alloy
Weight:  1008g (complete unit with 4mm connectors)
Max RPM:  35,000
Motor Type:  4035 4 Pole 700kv brushless outrunner
37
Max Power:  7000w
Continuous Power:  6500w
Max Voltage:  44.4v (12S)
Max Amps:  140A
Max Thrust:  7.5kg

Power Supply Used :

We have used 3 X lithium polymer (LIPO) batteries (Tattu 16000mAh Lipo Battery
Pack) onboard, as the power supply system for the vehicle. The LIPOs are connected
in parallel connection, which enables the addition of current from three LIPOs with
the same voltage rating across the battery terminals.

Specs :

Minimum Capacity: 16000mAh (True 100% Capacity)

Configuration: 6S1P / 22.2v / 6Cell
Constant Discharge: 15C
Peak Discharge (10sec): 30C
Pack Weight: 1920gms
Pack Size: 173 x 74 x 68mm
Charge Plug: JST-XH
Discharge Plug: XT90

Surveillance and Telemetry System :- [3]

We have used four Fatshark 600TVL High Resolution FPV Tuned CMOS
Cameras in our design, for surveillance purpose. These four cameras or eyes are
mounted pointing four cardinal directions. Also, each of the cameras can rotate about
its own axis, with the help of its base servo motor, thus providing the control room
with a very flexible and dynamic view of the surveillance area.
Image settings of these cameras have been FPV tuned through hours of flight
testing to ensure great performance in challenging lighting conditions (no problem
to fly in low afternoon sunlight). 

Features:

38
 • 100° diagonal FOV
• NTSC or PAL selectable output
• FPV tuned light handling
• Compatible with Fatshark/
ImmersionRC video transmitter

Specification:
A snapshot of Fatshark 600 TVL camera, at 2168 feet
altitude
 Power supply: 3.5-5V (powered off TX)
 Power consumption: 60mA @5V
 Imager: 1/3” CMOS
 FPV tuned light handling
 NTSC or PAL (selectable; jumper on = PAL).
 Lens: 2.8mm IR coated
 FOV: 100°diagonal (ideal for fixed camera)
 Operation Temperature: -20 to 70C
 Size: Square: 21 X 21 X 12mm
 Lens extrude (LxDia): 15mm X 14mm
 Weight: 15g

Communication and Control System :- [3]

The communication system that we are using for controlling all the mechanisms, in all
modes is a Computer Radio System namely,
Futaba 14SG 14 channel 2.4 GHz Computer Radio System. This radio system is
used to control the vehicle wirelessly from a base station within a diameter of 10 kms.

Along with Futaba system, another supporting radio system, namely Dragonlink RC
UHF (433 MHz) system is used, to mainly increase the range of control from 10 to
50 kms, and to decrease the interference of other radio disturbances, in our radio
system. Dragon link also makes it possible for the radio system to work in urban
settings, and at a fairly low altitude.

Features of radio system:

39
• Channels: 12 proportional, 2 switched
• Range : 50 kms
• Compatible with FASSTest, FASST and S-FHSS protocols
• Free user-updatable software 
• 30-model memory 
• 10-character user naming
• 10-character model naming
• Large, 1.75” x 3” backlit LCD screen with 128 x 64 resolution
• SensorTouch™ programming
• Left and right assignable slider switches
• Two assignable rotary knobs
• Six assignable three-position switches
• One assignable momentary two-position switch
• One assignable two-position switch
• Dual ball bearing gimbals
• 4 vibration warning types 
• Audio earphone jack (for telemetry alarms)
• 6V 1800mAh NiMH battery pack
• User stick calibration
• Trainer system
• Servo speed adjust
• 5 programmable mixes

Reference

The following research papers, journals and websites were referred to, during the
development of our project :

1. Conceptual design of Amphibious Tiltrotor for Rescue Operations : VECTOR -

by Bart Sitek and Wei Yang

2. Design and Development of Amphibious Hybrid Vehicle Body Structure –

By Muhammad Zahir Hassan, Muhammad Razil Razali, and Mohd Shazni Halid

3. Fielding an Amphibious UAV: DEVELOPMENT, RESULTS, AND

40
 LESSONS LEARNED – By Greg Pisanich and Dr. Stephen Morris

4. Electric Ducted Fan – theory and practice

http://southamptonmac.org.uk/doc/RS_EDF_theory_and_Practice_v5.pdf

5. MODELLING OF AN AUTONOMOUS AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE –

By T.H.Tran, Q.P. Ha, R. Grover and S. Scheding

6. Flight Stability http://www.engbrasil.eng.br/index_arquivos/ap28.pdf

7. Understanding LiPos http://www.raidentech.com/unliba.html

8. Stability and Metacentric Height

http://www.codecogs.com/library/engineering/fluid_mechanics/floating_bodies/stability-and-
metacentric-height.php

9. Aerodynamic Drag http://www.physics.info/drag/

CONCLUSION

The spy technologies and spy facilities have seen unprecedented demand in this
century, by various intelligence agencies and military organizations throughout the
world. Spying activities saw its peak during World War II. And ever since then,
spying technologies are being developed by the nations, across the world. In this
particular project, we have tried to design a vehicle that can be used by any
intelligence organization or by any rescue team. It has been designed so as to make it
unstoppable as far as possible, in terms of gaining access to any location, to collect
information from there. LAWTID can efficiently help the army in their rescue
operations and infiltration processes. Since there is no life onboard, it can enter any
risky location and it can perform activities like spotting and detection of bombing
equipments.

41
Overall, LAWTID can prove to be very useful in helping intelligence agencies in their
operations.

42