06:10 pm - Wednesday
Vulture, the solar-powered airplane that will break all records
Washington, USA - Aurora Flight System, Boeing and Lockheed Martin in competition
(WAPA) - DARPA, Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, is going the ahead for the project of a record unmanned airplane, the Vulture, able to fly for five years (1286 days) without ever landing and ever being refuelled.
Aurora Flight System, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are the three aeronautical industries to be in competition to develop within five years an airplane able to transport 5,000 kg of materials at high altitude (between 20,000 and 30,000 meters) and able to fly for five years non-stop. All the three giants have received financing by DARPA to design different projects but having the same scope: a long-range airplane for civil and military uses, that will monitor and re-establish the radio and video communications on an area involved in an environmental disaster, or able to control terrorist training fields without the risk to be seen.
The Aurora proposal consists on the building of three airplanes which will leave singularly from an airport and they will unite during the flight and set up an aircraft with a 160 m wingspan (twice A-380). This idea plans for the possibility to create the "Z" shape, as to allow to the solar panels to capture solar energy as soon as possible, according to areas in which Vulture will be sent.
Boeing has been given few details. Boeing disclosed it proposal is similar to Aurora, but the airplane will be made up from only a wing. The third competitor is Lockheed Martin. Details regarding their proposal and team are not available yet.
After the five years of flight forecast, these airplanes will not be wrecked but they will be subjected to a deep overhaul, and some months later they will return to fly.
Until today the flight record for an unmanned airplane belongs to QinetiQ's Zephyr Aircraft that soared for 54 hours. (Avionews)
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Direttore Clara Moschini