The Hyperion project at the University of Colorado is to conceive, design, integrate, and operate a 3 meter wingspan and 1.25 meter max chord flying wing airframe with a parallel hybrid propulsion system. It will be showcased at the Aerospace Engineering Department’s Design Symposium on April 15.
The Hyperion aircraft serves as a test-bed for research and development in the following focus areas: aerodynamics, structures and materials, weights and mass properties, handling and control, flight mechanics, and efficiency improvements on performance. Specifically the research effort is investigating numerous technologies aimed at reducing emissions and augmenting operational capabilities of air vehicles. Research findings benefit next generation “green” passenger and transport aircraft as well as smaller UAS.
The geometric shape of the flying wing aircraft provides aerodynamic advantages compared to traditional tube and wing configuration which reduces the amount of power required for flight.
The hybrid power plant for the Hyperion aircraft was also designed at the University of Colorado. This parallel gas-electric engine was originally developed by a previous design team at CU and is now licensed by TIGON EnerTec, Inc.
The hybrid solution provides a combination of endurance and acoustic quietness, including high reliability, which cannot be provided by current purely electric UAS. The modularity of the hybrid solution also allows for optimization of payload volume and mass with respect to the concept of operation.
The design team of 33 graduate and senior undergraduate students guided by five faculty members is composed of four international groups, two at the University of Colorado, one at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and one at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Final assembly of the Hyperion vehicle will take place in Boulder, Colorado, in March-April, with test flights scheduled for summer.
Full documentation: Hyperion pdf.