Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested

Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested While impressive, unmanned flight is just one of the capabilities required of the Northrop Grumman-built X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) if it is to enter service with the U.S. Navy. Prior to and after any flights, the aircraft also needs to be safely maneuvered around the crowded deck of an aircraft carrier. Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy have completed the first tests of a wireless, handheld device that will be used to do just that.

Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested

Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested

Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested

 In its first shore-based trials carried out earlier this month at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, the handheld device, called a Control Display Unit (CDU), was used to control the X-47B’s engine thrust to roll the aircraft forward, brake and stop, and use its nose wheel steering to execute the tight, precision turns required to maneuver the aircraft into a catapult or out of the landing area following a landing.
Like piloted aircraft, in practice the X-47B will be directed around the carrier deck by a flight deck director (aka a “yellow shirt”) standing in front of the aircraft using traditional hand signals. However, instead of an onboard pilot, a deck operator standing behind the flight deck director will use the CDU to control the aircraft based on the director’s instructions.

The test team also expects the CDU to come in useful in further shore-based carrier suitability testing of the X-47B.

"Instead of towing the aircraft out to the flight line, we can now start the X-47B outside its hangar, then use the CDU to taxi it out to the runway, or into a catapult for launch," said Daryl Martis, Northrop Grumman's UCAS-D test director.. "Use of the CDU is the most time-efficient way to move the X-47B into the catapult or disengage it from the arresting gear after landing."

The first shore-based catapults of the X-47B are set for later this month and will be followed by hoisting it aboard an aircraft carrier to test the performance of the CDU in an actual carrier environment. Demonstrations of full launch, recovery, and air traffic control operations are slated for 2013.

Source: Northrop Grumman

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LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers

LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers Micro UAVs have proven a boon for photographers looking to spread their wings into the aerial realm. Similarly, wearable actioncams, like the GoPro line, have enabled amateurs to capture professional quality images and video from angles hitherto the province of seasoned professionals with expensive equipment. France’s Lehmann Aviation is bringing these two technologies together with the LA100, a fully automatic UAV designed specifically to carry a GoPro HERO3 camera.

LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers

`LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers

LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers

LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers

Like the Swinglet CAM UAV, the LA100 follows a pre-programmed flight path, but unlike the Swinglet, the LA100's flight path can't be customized or overridden by remote control. This is because the aircraft is targeted specifically at users with no piloting background. After a few minutes of capturing footage from a height of 80 to 100 meters (262 – 328 ft) with no input from the user on the ground, the hand-launched LA100 returns to the launch site for a horizontal landing.
With the ability to fly at speeds of 20 to 80 km/h (12 – 50 mph) for periods of up to five minutes, the LA100 has a range of up to 0.5 km (0.3 miles). It can also fly in winds of up to 45 km/h (28 mph) and in temperatures from -25° C to 60° C (-13° F to 140° F). The UAV has a wingspan of 92 cm (36 in) and length of 45 cm (18 in). Made mostly of foam and carbon fiber, the LA100 weighs around 850 g (30 oz), including a mounted GoPro camera.

A camera can be mounted on top of the wing to capture oblique images or at the bottom of the wing for vertical images. It can also fly with two GoPros on board at the same time. However, buyers will have to supply their GoPros as they aren't included in the purchase price.

The LA100 is priced at €990 (US$1,275) and will come ready to fly from December, 2012. Lehmann Aviation says it plans to roll out hardware and software upgrades for the LA100 on a regular basis.

The video below shows the LA100 and some of the aerial images captured with it.

Source: Lehmann Aviation

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SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test Reaction Engines Ltd. announced on Wednesday the completion of a critical round of testing of its SABRE engine’s precooler system. The SABRE is a radical type of hybrid jet/rocket engine capable of propelling a spacecraft into orbit or an aircraft in the atmosphere, at a velocity of Mach 5 (3,800 mph, 3,300 knots, 6,115 km/h). It’s intended for Reaction Engines’ SKYLON spacecraft and its airliner derivative, the LAPCAT A2 hypersonic aircraft.

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

The company had carried out its own tests earlier this year at its facility in Oxfordshire, UK and this series was done under the supervision of the European Space Agency (ESA) on behalf of the UK Space Agency to provide official validation of the technology. According to Reaction Engine’s press release, "the pre-cooler test objectives have all been successfully met and ESA are satisfied that the tests demonstrate the technology required for the SABRE engine development."
Skylon itself is something of a radical departure as well. It’s a planned Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) spacecraft that's intended to take off and land at conventional airports. Unlike many hypersonic craft, SKYLON will take off and accelerate to hypersonic speeds under its own power using the SABRE engine, without the need of a mothership or rocket boosters. The engine is thermodynamically simple, but extremely complex in engineering. It is designed to be extremely lightweight, with the skin of some components being thinner than a human hair.

Conventional rockets require special launch facilities and need to carry along the oxygen needed to burn their fuel. This adds weight and reduces the payload that can be delivered to orbit. If the rocket is a SSTO designed to return to Earth, the payload is even smaller. SKYLON’s SABRE engine reduces the need for carrying so much oxygen by using air like a jet, to burn its fuel for part of the ascent.
SABRE is basically a rocket engine that uses a precooled compressor for part of the ascent. It acts as an air-breathing jet until it reaches Mach 5 and an altitude of 25 kilometers (15.53 mi). By this time, it’s already 20 percent on its way to space. For the other 80 percent, SABRE converts to a pure rocket mode using its onboard store of liquid oxygen instead of air to loft into orbit at a speed of Mach 25 (19,000 mph, 16,500 knots, 30,600 km/h).

Since it works at everything from a dead stop to escape velocity, the SABRE engine not only needs to be able to switch from jet to rocket mode, it also needs to be able to reconfigure its geometry in flight to accommodate the constantly-changing pressure and temperature of the air blasting into it. Imagine being caught in a wind 25 times stronger than that of a Category 5 hurricane, and you can see the magnitude of the problem.
The SABRE engine requires the incoming air to be compressed to 140 atmospheres. This compression makes the air so hot that it would melt any known material, so the incoming air needs to be pre-cooled until its nearly a liquid. Previous experimental engines used the cryogenic hydrogen fuel to cool the heat exchangers, but this wasted fuel and caused all sorts of problems, such as making metals brittle.

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test
SABRE gets around this by using a closed-loop helium cycle. This is designed to cool the incoming airstream from over 1,000ºC (1,832ºF) to -150ºC (-238ºF) in less than 1/100th of a second without blocking with frost. It’s less wasteful of the hydrogen, which keeps the helium loop cold and avoids hydrogen brittling, so more heat-resistant materials can be used. Once cooled, a “relatively conventional” turbo compressor using jet engine technology can be used to compress the air to the required pressure – “relatively” being the operative word for an engine designed to go into space.

Reaction Engines is still years away from a completed engine and the construction of SKYLON is years after that, though the company remains optimistic and is currently seeking additional funds to continue development.

Source: Reaction Engines, LTD
PT6A Engines Direct - www.pt6a.aero

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Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight

Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight The European designed nEUROn Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator successfully completed its maiden flight on December 1, 2012. The flight took place at Dassault Aviation’s flight test base in Istres in southern France and marks a milestone for the nEUROn program that was launched in 2005 by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) that involves the collaboration of six European countries.

Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight

Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight

Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight

Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight

Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight

Measuring 9.2 m (30 ft) long and boasting a wingspan of 12.5 m (41 ft), the stealth technology demonstrator is the first large size stealth platform designed in Europe. It has an empty weight of 5 tons (4.5 tonnes) and a maximum weight of 7 tons (6.3 tonnes). Powered by a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca “Adour” engine, the nEUROn can fly for three hours and reach a maximum speed of Mach 0.8.

With the aim of the program to develop expertise in advanced aeronautics amongst the participating countries and industries, the aircraft itself isn’t intended for serial production, but will be used to test various technologies for future UAVs and UCAVs, including Saab’s next-generation Gripen.
France’s Dassault Aviation is serving as the nEUROn program’s prime contractor, with involvement from Alenia Aermacchi (Italy), Saab (Sweden), EADS-CASA (Spain), Hellenic Aerospace Industry (Greece), RUAG (Switzerland), and Thales (France).

Testing in France will continue until 2014, when it will be transferred to Vidsel in Sweden for a series of operational trials. It will then move onto Italy’s Perdadesfogu range for further testing focused on firing and stealth capabilities.

Sources: Saab, Dassault Aviation

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X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch

X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator has taken yet another step on the path towards unmanned aircraft operating amongst piloted aircraft on a carrier deck with its first ever steam-powered catapult launch. While the inaugural launch was conducted on land at a shore-based catapult facility at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, it gives the team confidence as it progresses towards a planned launch from a carrier next year.

X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch

X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch

X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch

X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch

X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch

The catapult launch took place on November 29, 2012, and proved the Northrop Grumman-built X-47B was structurally up to the task of withstanding the rigors of such a launch in a carrier environment. It also gave the team another opportunity to demonstrate the precision of the Control Display Unit (CDU), which was used to maneuver the pilotless aircraft into the catapult.

After launch, the X-47B demonstrator flew over Chesapeake Bay, performing a number of maneuvers that simulated tasks it will need to perform when landing on a carrier. These included flying in a typical ship holding pattern, and carrying out a carrier approach flight profile.

Further shore-based catapult launches are planned over the next few weeks, but an X-47B has already been hoisted aboard the USS Harry S. Truman at Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia, in readiness for a series of deck handling trials that will evaluate the performance of the CDU in a carrier environment.

These trials are expected to run until mid December, with the first carrier-based launch, recovery and air traffic control operation demonstrations planned for 2013.

The inaugural catapult launch can be seen in the video below.

Source: Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy

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Boeing’s flight simulator display gets ultra high-res upgrade

Boeing’s flight simulator display gets ultra high-res upgrade Three years after first displaying its Constant Resolution Visual System (CRVS) at the 2009 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, Boeing has chosen the 2012 conference to unveil an upgrade. With the addition of JVC’s new e-Shift 8K projection technology, the visual display that surrounds the pilot and cockpit in an eggshell-like environment delivers an “out-the-window” view at a resolution almost four times that of high definition.

Boeing’s flight simulator display gets ultra high-res upgrade

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In an effort to keep costs down, Boeing designed the CRVS to provide an uninterrupted field of view using fewer projectors than other systems. It also made the system compatible with a variety of commercial-off-the-shelf projectors and a wide array of image generators.

With the use of JVC’s e-Shift technology, which essentially uses a special algorithm to generate subpixels to fill the black spaces between pixels, the projector resolution and density is nearly doubled both horizontally and vertically, providing an image of nearly 8K resolution from a 4K projector.
"CRVS previously provided the highest-resolution, lowest-cost solution on the market," said Barry Kuhlmann, Visual Systems engineering manager at Boeing. "Now, with JVC e-Shift 8K projectors, CRVS has taken another leap forward in visual performance and fidelity to better prepare military pilots by allowing them to train in a more realistic yet safe environment."

Boeing says the extra resolution provided by the e-Shift technology delivers an extra level of immersion that enhances the training experience and lets pilots identify virtual targets at real-world ranges.

The JVC e-Shift 8K projectors can also be fitted to existing systems without any modifications to the screens or structure. Boeing adds that the CRVS is compatible with a wide variety of fast jet and rotary-wing cockpits, aviator night vision goggles and current and future head-mounted displays.

Source: Boeing

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Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport

Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport  The Micro Luggage from Swiss company Micro Mobility is designed to help with that last minute dash to the boarding gate. Either that or it will attract the attention of airport security so that you miss your flight all together – provided they can catch you. Either way, the luggage, which combines a wheeled suitcase with a micro scooter, is sure to turn heads in the departure lounge.

Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport

Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport

Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport

Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport

Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport

Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport

When a traveler feels the need for speed, they can fold down a built-in kickboard deck from the back of the case, grab hold of the height-adjustable handlebar and push themselves along on hard rubber (polyurethane) wheels. Because the handlebars and wheels don't turn, steering is done by leaning in the direction you want to go.

Designed to carry a a maximum load of 100 kg (220.5 lb), the Micro Luggage is intended for short trips of one or two nights away. Measuring 22 inches (55.9 cm) high, 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) wide and 10 inches (25.4 cm) deep, it should fit in a standard size overhead luggage compartment.

On the inside, Micro Luggage features a separate compartment for a laptop, another one for business cards and another for folders, which should keep business travelers happy since they can access their office materials without rummaging through their clothes.

Micro Mobility's Wim Ouboter developed the system in conjunction with travel luggage specialist Samsonite and has targeted its product at those travelers who want to glide their way to the security check point before everyone else. Shy, retiring types and drug couriers will probably want to steer clear of the Micro Luggage as it is sure to attract plenty of attention.

Micro Luggage is retailing for US$249.99 and the video below shows the product in action.

Source: Micro-Mobility

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