Birds flap wings, sharks move vehicle fin to propel themselves. Well taken from an autonomous vehicle standpoint and using the relative water flows, created current from AUV, or increased back pressure from forward momentum against the fin, which was manufactured to return to normal position when bent, would force it back to its position then the forward propulsion of a propeller would cause it to bend out of shape and then it would once again correct itself. Thus you now have a moving object mimicking a natural organism (fish or other such sea creature or dinner). It would wiggle and move forward and thus be less detectable with less mechanism or springs and therefore less controlling surfaces, less Murphyism, less wear and tear and less energy to propel. Thus weight savings, not that it is a huge issue in water of 8.2 lbs per gallon, but every amount saved is an amount of efficiency.

Now let us take this into the contexts of a UAV or flying unit. The propeller or propulsion system moves the vehicle forward. The horizontal stabilizer whether a canard or conventional tail could force the aircraft down or up and the dihedral could have a somewhat memory of the way the grain in material is manufactured to cause it to flap like a bird with a muscle above the wing. The force of the relative wind causing the wing to bend downward until it sprung back and thus you have an unpredictable flight pattern. You could have several vehicles flying in a swarm of flock, which were manufactured slightly less, or more so they would be nearly impossible to hit. But with the same propulsion output fly at similar if not exact speeds since the ups and downs would equal out. The flapping of the wings would reduce the amount of energy needed for sustained flight.

The insides of the wings themselves should be part of the fuel. So in the beginning of the flight the structural integrity to fly in part would be the amount of strength to carry the fuel too. But the fuel and the wing are synonymous. As the vehicle got closer to its destination it would be eating itself alive, however on a single no return mission of a UAV this would be quite acceptable. Similar to the marathons or ultra marathons I use to run when near the end of the race you were depleted and you were literally running on guts, body fat and shear will power. As the aircraft eats the inside of the wing which is made of a poly type plastic, it is dissolved, thus the aircraft converts this into energy and the weight is decreased meaning it flies even more efficiently, and the last leg of its mission is down hill and it flaps its way in a slow glide to the target or mission end point. The goal line to win a victory point in the over all battle. Thus scoring points against the opponent.

The reason we use the wing is that it can be hollow and it is at the C.G. point. If we take some from the tail then eventually a motor in the rear would deplete itself, however the weight and balance would be out of check, unless a downward angle of attack and proper speed was continuous. One idea on this theme is to have the engine itself burn up like a roman candle in the end and provide forward momentum and thrust. Since the nature of things would be for multiple UAVs on a single mission this might happen at different times and actually space out the mission and attack sequence meaning the enemy would be under constant fire until the last UAV made its final death blow. This is of value when using UAVs as a diversionary force to keep the enemy occupied.

The engine could in the rear would be made out of a clay type substance which was encased in cellophane which once lit from the rear would provide the trust like a small C-65 Estes rocket engine. Once the engine was burned out it could fall to Earth in cinders with a whistle on it so it made a scary sound and another diversion, but a dud, or perhaps a small charge.

These wing spars could be made of the same types of plastics that surgeons use to expand heart arteries during operations. We know these techniques work on metal, plastic, carbon fibers, resilient composite, rubber of all types even (stretch Armstrong), We pick the lightest material and go for it. Nickel-titanium stints are also easily adaptable metal, and you would not need much. If you use nickel and poly fibers you could made a battery or find a suitable chemical reaction for fuel or propulsion or even poison gas on impact (forget I said that).

Materials with memory are nothing new, look at a paper clip, spring, slinky, etc. A nickel titanium stint when forced could cycle some 100 times a second if I am not mistaken and also cause a frequency and electricity, electromagnetic pulse, confusing the enemy and in a small mini UAV act like a humming bird and literally hover to the target once activated and it could activate itself upon expensement of the fuel. So your UAV flies to the target hovers and then eventually drops on the target after sending you pictures, GPS coordinates for smart bombing, larger UAVs for Hell Fire Missiles or even.

You could use it to build a motor and it would be that in an AUV would allow water to flow through such a diaphragm membrane, which might drive single piston. There are other type "ferromagnetic" memory materials you can shape to use, such as manganese or gallium. Placing small units in capsules inside a small tube and placed inside of a Navy Seal or fighter pilots suit might also be set to vibrate and therefore the sound would give away their position for extraction or rescue.

Remember the movie core when they found the craft, which was at the bottom of the ocean near a vent and caused the whales to find it? Polymers have also been used in cars and automobiles like the Saturn where you punch the door and it pops back out. Some polymers can stretch up to 12 times their length, again stretch Armstrong and flex back, where as metals are not near as elastic, but can provide the rigid ness and many are conductive of electricity.

Tesla would laugh and come up with 50 other good uses probably nobler than my warrior genes allow for since he was a proponent of strong defense, not necessarily strong offense like Von Clauswitz. Never the less, I do believe that the uses for UAVs are of supreme value and maybe in thinner mediums of fluid such as salt water that the polymers might serve a more useful purpose and also not succumb to corrosion when used for long journeys or long life missions. Another use would be in a fire hose which if laid on the ground would wiggle like a snake and using the basics of fluid dynamics could work like a pump for long distances as the flow rate is lost as the distance gets further and further from the fire hydrant and the flow slows and therefore dynamic pressure is reduced as less weight behind the flow is available. Lining fire hoses with materials, which are memory manufactured, will also make it easier to roll up.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/