AeroVironment Broomstick
First aircraft with propulsion and control entirely by boundary layer control.
The AeroVironment Broomstick was an unmanned aerial vehicle built for DARPA. It was a flying wing design that used blown flaps and related aerodynamic techniques for both propulsion and control. All systems and propulsion were housed within the wing itself, which had an unswept configuration, no dihedral, and a 50% thick airfoil developed at the David Taylor Model Basin in Bethesda, Maryland. The aircraft relied on differential blowing for boundary layer control, propulsion, and flight control, with no visible inlets, exhausts, or propellers outside the wing.
The Broomstick had a fixed four-wheel undercarriage and two vertical fins near the trailing edge. A trailing boom carried an angle-of-attack sensor that worked with an onboard autopilot. First flights occurred in 1987, demonstrating the feasibility of boundary layer control on the thick airfoil. Early versions had horizontal and vertical tail surfaces mounted at the end of a roughly 4-foot tailboom. Development paused until funding for a digital autopilot became available. The first flight as a truly tailless aircraft—without the tailboom—took place on 14 August 1990. The Broomstick typically flew at 15–20 mph. It is recognized as the first aircraft whose propulsion and control were provided entirely by boundary layer control.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- UAV
- National Origin
- United States
- Manufacturer
- AeroVironment Inc.
- First Flight
- 1987
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Broomstick was developed in response to a need for a long endurance aircraft with unique characteristics. It was an unswept flying wing configuration, with no dihedral and with all its propulsion and systems contained within the wing itself. The aircraft used a 50% thick airfoil, which had been developed at the David Taylor Model Basin in Bethesda, Maryland. It used differential blowing for boundary layer control, propulsion, and flight control, with no propulsion elements (inlets, exhausts, propellers) visible outside of the wing. The Broomstick featured a fixed four wheel undercarriage and two vertical fins located by the trailing edge of the wing. A boom trailing behind the wing contained an angle-of-attack sensor, which worked in conjunction with an onboard autopilot.
The first flights took place in 1987, proving the feasibility of using boundary layer control on the 50% thick airfoil. The Broomstick initially had horizontal and vertical tail surfaces mounted at the end of an approximately 4 ft long tailboom. Progress was delayed until funding to allow the development of a digital autopilot became available. The Broomstick's first flight as a truly tailless aircraft, without the tailboom, was made on 14 August 1990. The Broomstick flew nominally around 15–20 mph.
Reader's Guide
The Broomstick demonstrated a novel approach to aircraft propulsion and control by relying entirely on boundary layer control, with no visible external propulsion elements. Its 50% thick airfoil, developed at the David Taylor Model Basin, was key to housing all systems within the wing. The aircraft's evolution from a tailboom-equipped configuration to a tailless design showed the progression of its digital autopilot development. The Broomstick's first flights in 1987 validated the feasibility of boundary layer control on such a thick airfoil, and its later tailless flights in 1990 confirmed the concept's maturity. As the first known aircraft to achieve propulsion and control solely through boundary layer control, the Broomstick represented a significant step in aerodynamic and control system integration for unmanned aerial vehicles. Its design eliminated conventional control surfaces and propulsion openings, offering potential advantages in stealth and efficiency. The program, conducted for DARPA, highlighted the agency's interest in unconventional flight technologies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AeroVironment Broomstick?
The Broomstick is an experimental unmanned aerial vehicle developed by AeroVironment for DARPA. It is a tailless flying wing in which every system—propulsion, control surfaces, and structure—is embedded entirely within the wing itself.
What makes the Broomstick's propulsion and control system unique?
It is the first aircraft to achieve both thrust and flight control solely through differential blowing for boundary layer control. No external inlets, exhausts, or propellers are visible on the airframe.
When did the Broomstick first fly?
Its initial flight occurred in 1987, and it first took to the air in its fully tailless configuration on 14 August 1990.
How fast does the Broomstick fly?
It cruises at a modest typical speed of roughly 15 to 20 miles per hour, consistent with its small, low-speed research-aircraft design.
Why is the Broomstick considered important in UAV history?
It proved that a complete flying wing could be both propelled and steered using only blown-flap boundary layer techniques, with a 50%-thick airfoil developed at the David Taylor Model Basin in Bethesda, Maryland. This made it a pioneering proof-of-concept for fully integrated aerodynamic propulsion in an unmanned platform.
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