Aurora Excalibur UAS Makes First Flight
UNITED STATES - 20 JULY 2009
Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (Aurora) announced today that it has successfully completed the first flight of the Excalibur Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) turbine hybrid electric unmanned air vehicle is the first of a new class of tactical unmanned combat air vehicles. The first flight took place at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland on June 24, 2009.
“It was a flawless first flight with a crisp takeoff and perfect landing. In flight, the hover stability and heading control performance were excellent,” affirmed Aurora President, John Langford.
Excalibur’s unique configuration enables both VTOL and high-speed flight modes at speeds up to 400 knots; thereby providing the Warfighter with a survivable capability for quick response weapons delivery or logistics resupply from remote, austere forward operating bases or from air cable ships operating in the littorals.
The Excalibur proof-of-concept vehicle combines jet-borne vertical lift with three electric lift fans to provide attitude control and a significant fraction of hover thrust. The fully autonomous vehicle management and flight control systems simplify the operator task allowing operators to focus on mission objectives. Aurora anticipates a series of flying qualities and performance testing to verify low speed operations, transition modes, and high speed flight regimes in the near future.
Mission planning and operator command and control was achieved using Aurora’s portable Ground Control Station (GCS) architecture that features STANAG 4586 compliance and ensures down stream interoperability with the Army’s One System compatible GCS. The Excalibur UAS was developed by Aurora for the US Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate and the Office of Naval Research.
More Info: Excalibur - Armed, tactical UAV:
Excalibur is a purpose-built armed, tactical UAV. Excalibur fills a gap between current weaponized UAVs and manned strike platforms that provide tactical air support. To enable the attack role, Excalibur will be compatible with Hellfire, APKWS, Viper Strike and other small, precision-guided munitions recently developed by the Department of Defense.
Excalibur uses a turbine-electric hybrid propulsion system to give the aircraft VTOL capability while allowing optimization of the turbine engine for horizontal flight. The aircraft's advanced flight control system operates with a high level of autonomy. The aircraft is not remotely piloted, therefore operators are able to focus on mission planning, finding, and engaging targets instead of flying the aircraft.
Excalibur combines VTOL launch and recovery, high-speed flight (up to 400knots), and low speed loiter (100 knots) into one aircraft. Excalibur can operate in a STOL or STOVL mode for increased mission durations or payloads.
Aurora is under contract to the Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate to design a 700 pounds Excalibur technology demonstrator aircraft, and completed it's first vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight test on June 24, 2009
Source: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
UNITED STATES - 20 JULY 2009
Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (Aurora) announced today that it has successfully completed the first flight of the Excalibur Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) turbine hybrid electric unmanned air vehicle is the first of a new class of tactical unmanned combat air vehicles. The first flight took place at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland on June 24, 2009.
“It was a flawless first flight with a crisp takeoff and perfect landing. In flight, the hover stability and heading control performance were excellent,” affirmed Aurora President, John Langford.
Excalibur’s unique configuration enables both VTOL and high-speed flight modes at speeds up to 400 knots; thereby providing the Warfighter with a survivable capability for quick response weapons delivery or logistics resupply from remote, austere forward operating bases or from air cable ships operating in the littorals.
The Excalibur proof-of-concept vehicle combines jet-borne vertical lift with three electric lift fans to provide attitude control and a significant fraction of hover thrust. The fully autonomous vehicle management and flight control systems simplify the operator task allowing operators to focus on mission objectives. Aurora anticipates a series of flying qualities and performance testing to verify low speed operations, transition modes, and high speed flight regimes in the near future.
Mission planning and operator command and control was achieved using Aurora’s portable Ground Control Station (GCS) architecture that features STANAG 4586 compliance and ensures down stream interoperability with the Army’s One System compatible GCS. The Excalibur UAS was developed by Aurora for the US Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate and the Office of Naval Research.
More Info: Excalibur - Armed, tactical UAV:
Excalibur is a purpose-built armed, tactical UAV. Excalibur fills a gap between current weaponized UAVs and manned strike platforms that provide tactical air support. To enable the attack role, Excalibur will be compatible with Hellfire, APKWS, Viper Strike and other small, precision-guided munitions recently developed by the Department of Defense.
Excalibur uses a turbine-electric hybrid propulsion system to give the aircraft VTOL capability while allowing optimization of the turbine engine for horizontal flight. The aircraft's advanced flight control system operates with a high level of autonomy. The aircraft is not remotely piloted, therefore operators are able to focus on mission planning, finding, and engaging targets instead of flying the aircraft.
Excalibur combines VTOL launch and recovery, high-speed flight (up to 400knots), and low speed loiter (100 knots) into one aircraft. Excalibur can operate in a STOL or STOVL mode for increased mission durations or payloads.
Aurora is under contract to the Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate to design a 700 pounds Excalibur technology demonstrator aircraft, and completed it's first vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight test on June 24, 2009
Source: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
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