It wasn’t an April Fool’s Day joke, even though AeroVironment’s press release is dated April 1. Their Global Observer crashed in the Mojave Desert during extended duration flight testing. AeroVironment stressed that there were “No injuries or damage to other property reported during envelope expansion flight testing,” and that an “Investigation Board will be convened to probe the cause and provide details of the mishap.” The mishap occurred at 2:30 a. m., approximately 18 hours into the craft’s ninth test flight. AeroVironment’s press release continues, “’Flight testing an innovative new solution like Global Observer involves pushing the frontiers of technology and convention,’ said Tim Conver, AeroVironment chairman and chief executive officer. ‘Risk is a component of every flight test program, and the learning that results from a mishap enables us to improve system reliability and performance. One benefit of testing an unmanned aircraft system is that pilots and crew are not in harm’s way when a mishap occurs.’” The flight test team, …
Craftsmanship and Courage
Last February, the blog reported on the low-cost Flying Flea formula, four-motored ultralight that Nedo Lavorini built and flew. Unknown to your editor at that time, YouTube has videos of the construction of what turns out to be at least three fuselages. That answers the question of why the aircraft flew with at least two landing gear configurations. Parental and Spousal Warning: You may want to view the video privately before allowing your children (or wife) to see the following. There is a bit of eye candy in Nedo’s workshop, and even the cameraman seems to be distracted momentarily. The flying video gives a new meaning to the term “tree hugger.” The Pulce Elletricca seems not to have a great rate of climb with its four 2 kilowatt Chinese model airplane motors doing their best to lift the 330-pound all-up-weight flea. It’s a heroic effort for the pilot, and the under $5,500 total cost for the nicely crafted machine is certainly …
Glass Like Metal, Plastic Like Steel
Two very different materials forming techniques using materials that seem to defy their “normal” characteristics promise lighter, stronger, more efficiently manufactured products – with potential applications for green flight. Dr. Seeley shared this item from Science Daily, regarding the potential use for this new material in the solar highways reported here. One critique of that design is the need to maintain structural integrity with semi-trucks passing over a layer of glass through which everything from lane markers to warning messages could be displayed. Jan Schroers, a materials scientist at Yale University, is experimenting with a new class of materials called bulk metallic glasses (BMG), or metal allows with randomly arranged atoms. “Normal” metals have more well-ordered crystalline structures, but the random atoms of BMGs, “Can be molded into complex shapes with the same ease and low expense as plastic but without sacrificing the strength and durability of metal,” according to Science Daily’s February 28, 2011 report. The report quotes Schroers, …
Elektra One Video and a Correction
This morning, your editor entered the press release and a photo of the PC Aero Elektra One in flight, noting that the landing gear was probably retracted to allow the low energy use reported by Calin Gologan, the plane’s designer. The video and its accompanying text belie that assumption, and promise even better performance when the airplane is reconfigured in the near future. “Elektra One performed the first flight on 19 Mar. 2011 at the Augsburg Airport in Germany. Jon Karkow, a well known test pilot and aircraft engineer performed the first flight. Flight characteristics and engne parameter were tested. The test pilot was very satisfied with the results. Three flights were performed. The climbing rate was 400 ft/min. A new 30 min. flight was performed on 23 Mar. Only about 3kW from the total on board of 6kWh energy was used. In the next two weeks the new variable pitch propeller and the retractable landing gear will be installed.” …
Elektra One Has First Flight
The brief press release and single photograph from PC-Aero says it all: “ELEKTRA ONE from PC-Aero performed successfully its First Flight for about 30 minutes. Using only 3 kWh of energy. “The internal First Flight was performed by the well known testpilot Jon Karkow. He did the first check for the flight performance and characteristics of the electric aircraft and briefed the german testpilot Norbert Lorenzen for the next official First Flight.” Although static tests were completed late last year, speculation that Germany’s tough certification laws held up test flights ran through some of the aviation press. The angle of the photograph makes it difficult to tell whether the center-line landing gear was retracted or not, but the low energy use indicates the gear might have been tucked up. Energy use certainly reflects designer Calin Gologan’s assertion that “Elektra One needs only about 6.5 kW/h at 100 MPH. This will be equivalent with about 500 passenger MPG.” Elektra One is …
A Matter of Great Faith
A technique used by jungle aviation missionaries over 50 years ago may provide an answer to aerial delivery problems such as dropping water on the current radioactive fires in Japan, according to Gaylord Olson, a Princeton, New Jersey reader of the CAFE Blog. Nate Saint was a Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot and missionary to the Auca Indians in the Ecuadorian jungle when he and four others were killed in 1956 by members of the tribe. Life Magazine published a 10-page article on the group’s martyrdom, and two movies depicted their lives and last hours. Saint was also an inventive soul, who may have know about early patents for a system he called the “bucket drop,” a method for delivering equipment and supplies to the floor below a rain forest canopy. In the video, Saint’s son Steve demonstrates the technique. Researchers at Mississippi State University adapted the technique to two-aircraft use, as described in a 1983 paper by Francis M. Wilson, …
Lucky 13 to Fly in Green Flight Challenge
Following rigorous evaluations of all aircraft to ensure they meet all standards for the contest, Dr. Brien Seeley, President of the CAFE Foundation, announced the 13 entrants who will compete in the Green Flight Challenge at Santa Rosa, California between July 11 and 17, 2011. This exciting event will offer the public a first view of some incredible designs and resourceful competitors. Since the minimum performance required for consideration includes things such as the ability to fly a 200 mile course at 100 mph or better average speed, the ability to clear a 50-foot barrier on a 2,000 foot runway during both takeoff and landing, and the efficiency to attain at least 200 passenger miles per gallon during the overall flight, all aircraft are obviously the most efficient aerial creations yet seen. Rules were established to encourage designers to make “real world”, practical craft rather than specialized designs that could win the contest but find no real purpose or willing owners. Even things such as cockpit design and …
Being Led By The Nose
With speculation in CAFE circles about the use of thin, lightweight motors now available for landing and takeoff augmentation, it comes as almost now surprise that DLR, the German Aerospace Centre, and the Airbus people at EADS have announced development of an electric nose wheel that could replace airport tugs and extended ground operation for airliners’ jet engines. According to The Engineer, a British publication, a fuel cell-powered system delivers electrical energy capable of powering the nose wheel of a 70-ton aircraft. “Commercial aircraft could cut their on-ground emissions by one quarter with a new hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system, according to its creators. “For short-haul aircraft that often take off and land seven times a day, this could save between 200 and 400 litres of kerosene per day while reducing noise by around 95 per cent, without the use of towing vehicles.” Tested in the DLR laboratories, the twin electric motors are about to be checked out on a real A320. …
No Cracks About Glass Runways, Please
My daughter Ann sent me a video about an astonishing and novel use of materials – glass highways that interact with drivers and collect solar power. Sharing this with Dr. Seeley caused him to share it with his sons, who had immediate feedback. Damon Seeley is co-founder and partner with Cameron McNall in Electroland, a collaborative design firm that creates interactive displays involving light, sound, and a variety of media. He thinks, “The idea is sound,” but shares some caveats based on his experience. “I’m sure they have wildly optimistic cost projections of what it takes to produce and install these. Also I now have 5 years’ experience with the extreme unpredictability of sandwich constructions under real-world shear loading from footsteps. I can only imagine what a semi-trailer in ABS brake mode will impart to the surface. They are going to need carbon nano-tube adhesives.” Structurally, Corning may have part of the answer with its Gorilla glass, something invented in …
Dynamic and Regenerative Soaring – Perpetual Energy in Flight
Phil Barnes has an impressive set of credentials, and an even more impressive body of work. Having seen three of his presentations at the Experimental Soaring Association’s Western Workshops, this writer can attest to the breadth and depth of his knowledge. According to his biography, “Phil Barnes has a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona. He has 25-years of experience in the performance analysis and computer modeling of aerospace vehicles and subsystems at Northrop Grumman. Phil has authored technical papers on aerodynamics, gears, and flight mechanics.” He now has his own web site, How Flies the Albatross, where readers can interact with the flight of the albatross in simulated dynamic soaring conditions, with mathematical explanations of a very high order. Barnes took all the photographs of albatrosses in flight, and are another impressive facet of his abilities. Another segment provides an “Aerodynamic and Artistic Study” …