UAS VISION
an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
NASA has funded a parametric design study to establish the viability of a Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) Propulsion system consisting of integrating several combinations of near-term turbine engine solutions and a very low Mach ignition Dual Mode RamJet (DMRJ) in the SR-72 vehicle concept. Continue reading
Alta Devices has announced cooperation with Airware to enable manufacturers of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to integrate solar power into their aircraft. Alta Devices, which makes what are claimed to be the world’s thinnest and highest efficiency solar cells using GaAs, holds the world record for solar cell efficiency at 28.8 percent. Continue reading
Neah Power Systems, Inc. will be partnering with Silent Falcon UAS Technologies (‘Silent Falcon’) to integrate the formic acid reformer (Formira™) based fuel cell technology into the Silent Falcon UAV. The fuel cell could significantly increase the mission endurance by between two times to three times the current duration, as well as enable heavier payloads. Formic acid is a safe, energy dense fuel, allowing easy handling, distribution, and refueling in remote locations worldwide, unlike compressed hydrogen.
A Boeing-assisted team at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Center has developed a blended-wing UAV featuring integrated electric ducted fan motors built with modular components made largely via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). This is the type of 3D printing in which successive layers of molten plastic are extruded one on top of another, to build up complete objects. Continue reading
Orbital Corporation Limited (Orbital) has delivered the first purpose-built ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) propulsion system to Insitu Inc, a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, for in-house testing and development. Designed specifically for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) class UAVs, it is the first reciprocating internal combustion propulsion system to be engineered from the ground up for unmanned aerospace application. Continue reading
Airbus Defence and Space has announced that the Zephyr 7 High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) has just completed its most demanding mission to date and thus set a new benchmark in persistent, year-round operations for this class of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The test consisted of over 11 days of non-stop flight, in winter weather conditions with a new primary payload, including flight controlled through satellite communications – three more benchmarks reached by Zephyr 7.
A Virginia Tech Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering student team won First place in a NASA-sponsored competition with its design of a twin-fuselage unmanned aircraft fueled by liquid hydrogen. The annual University Aeronautics Engineering Design Challenge was sponsored by NASA and not meant to create aircraft that will be built and flown, but to spur design skills among college engineering students.
Japanese company Power Japan Plus has announced the development and planned mass-production of “Ryden,” a disruptive carbon battery that can be charged 20 times faster than an ordinary lithium-ion cell. The battery, which is cheap to manufacture, safe, and environmentally friendly, could be ideal to improve the range and charging times of electric cars. Continue reading