Inflatable wings find applications in aircraft designs where low volume wing storage is required. Design constraints are typically based on static loading requirements, which determine wing inflation pressure based upon the membrane's structural design. Dynamic loading during deployment may play a role, however, depending on the deployment speed. We investigate the deployment dynamics of inflatable wings through wind tunnel tests. Experiments were performed on an inflatable wing manufactured

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... m polyurethane-coated nylon fabric. Wind tunnel tests were conducted on the roll-folded wing with and without passive deployment control element at different inflation rates, dynamic pressures and angles of attack to vary the wing load and bending moment. A simple analysis was used to determine the sustainable aerodynamic load prior to wrinkling of the membrane at the wing root as a function of the deployment shape. Lift peaks prior to the complete deployment due to the deployment shape, which may be used to optimize the aerodynamic characteristics.