Maiden Flight for NASA’s Newest Subscale Aircraft

On Jan. 18, 2018, Armstrong’s Subscale Research Lab crew piloted the 𝝁Cub (MicroCub) for its inaugural flight, successfully demonstrating the aircraft’s airworthiness.

The MicroCub is a Bill Hempel 60-percent-scale super cub, which has been modified by Armstrong to support engineering campaigns focused on the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). Specifications of the vehicle include a 21-foot wingspan, a Piccolo Autopilot guidance system and a JetCat SPT-15 Turboprop.

In this 1-minute, 2-second video, NASA Armstrong highlights the initial flight of the aircraft, validating the ground handling and flight characteristics of the MicroCub-a critical phase needed to educate engineers and validate key technologies that will directly support UAS research and development.

Source: YouTube