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Elvia H. Thompson
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-1696)
Beth Hagenauer
Dryden Flight Research Center, Calif.
(Phone: 661/276-7960)
RELEASE: 05-335
With the graceful flight of hawks and eagles in mind, NASA aerospace
engineer Michael Allen recently hand-launched a 15-pound motorized
model sailplane over the Southern California desert. He was hoping it
would catch plumes of rising air called thermals.
The sailplane did just that several times without human intervention
during a series of research flights at NASA's Dryden Flight Research
Center, Calif. The tests validated Allen's premise that using thermal
lift could significantly extend the range and flight endurance of
small unmanned air vehicles. Thermal lift increases vehicle endurance
and saves fuel. This is significant, as small vehicle flight duration
is often restricted by limited fuel capacity.
"The flights demonstrated a small unmanned vehicle can mimic birds and
exploit the free energy that exists in the atmosphere," Allen said.
"We have been able to gather useful and unique data on updrafts and
the response of the aircraft in updrafts. This will further the
technology and refine the algorithms used."
For more information about flight research at Dryden on the Web visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home
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