Refueling Drogue Technology

Deployed drogue

Staffers quality checking the drogue

Navmar has expertise in the design, fabrication and wind tunnel testing of refueling drogue technology. Aerial refueling is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight. It is done on both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. The procedure allows the receiving aircraft to remain airborne longer and ultimately have increased war-fighting capability. A drogue is a small parachute-type of device that stabilizes the refueling hose in flight. Have you ever stuck your hand outside of car window while driving? If so, you know that a slight movement of your hand or fingers will cause your hand to move up and down - a simple example of aerodynamics. Now imagine the forces, aerodynamics, and turbulence as two aircraft are in a refueling operation and the only thing keeping the refueling hose from hitting the plane is the stabilization that the drogue provides. At Navmar, we don't just imagine it - we calculate the forces, create innovative technologies to control the drogue and perform testing in wind tunnels and on aircraft!