Gizmag: Aero Gizmo

Long awaited satellite to monitor water cycle reaches orbit

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:43:26 +1100

The 658kg (1,450 lb) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) this week is the first ever satellite designed both to map sea surface salinity and to monitor soil moisture on a global scale. The unique radiometer it carries will enable passive surveying of the water cycle between oceans, the atmosphere and land thereby playing a key role in the monitoring of global climate change...

Tags: Climate Change, Earth, environment, Environmental, ESA, Global, Monitoring, Orbit, Salinity, Satellite, Space, Water

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Spiraling maple tree seeds inspire world's smallest single-winged rotocraft

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:08:15 +1000

Students at the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering have turned to nature to create a flying device that can hover and perform surveillance duties, and that could lead to applications for military and emergency services. The enigmatic maple tree seeds (or samara fruit) - and the unique spiraling pattern with which they glide to the ground - have intrigued children and engineers for decades. Now aerospace engineering graduate students have applied the seeds’ design to airborne devices and created what they believe to be the world's smallest controllable single-winged rotocraft...

Tags: Aircraft, Flying, Maple, Military, Surveillance, Tiny, University of Maryland, Unmanned, Vehicle

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Pentagon looking for someone to pick up the trash in space

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:05:01 +1000

The Soviet Union launched the very first earth-orbiting satellite in 1957, and the world looked on in awe as Sputnik flashed through the sky. Fifty years later, you’d be lucky to see anything. The U.S. Space Surveillance Network says there are almost 20,000 man-made objects in orbit, ninety-four percent of which are non-functional debris. And that’s not counting the hundreds of thousands of bits of junk too small to track. Little wonder the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has put out a call for someone – anyone – to come up with a way to effectively remove orbital debris. ..

Tags: DARPA, Debris, NASA, Orbit, Space, Spacecraft

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What, exactly, makes a rocket fuel environmentally friendly?

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:52:26 +1000

Automobiles aren’t the only vehicles turning to more environmentally friendly fuel sources. As we reported recently, NASA are testing a new type of rocket propellant made of a mixture of water and “nanoscale aluminum” powder they claim could provide a cleaner way to launch rockets, power long-distance space missions and generate hydrogen for fuel cells. A number of readers wondered, not unreasonably, what qualifies a rocket fuel as eco-friendly. We now have a few more answers. ..

Tags: Alice, Aluminum, Environmental, Nanoparticles, NASA, Propellant, Purdue University, Rocket, Space, Spacecraft

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Locusts give up aerodynamic secrets of insect flight

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:04:03 +1000

It seems that locusts, the bane of farmers the world over, have served some purpose after all. With the aid of a wind tunnel and a high-speed digital video camera, scientists have captured the changes in the shape of the locust's wings during flight and created, for the first time, a computer model that recreates the airflow and thrust generated by their complex flapping movement. Modeling the aerodynamic secrets brings us a step closer to creating miniature robot flyers with the maneuverability and energy efficiency of an insect - such micro-aircraft would likely have huge benefits for search and rescue, military activities and inspecting hazardous environments...

Tags: Aerodynamics, Aircraft, Insect, Locusts, Robot, University of New South Wales, Wings

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New class of UAVs look more like UFOs

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:41:31 +1000

Most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) employ a fixed wing design much like that of a traditional plane. But these designs offer limited maneuverability and payload capacity, require a runway to takeoff and land, and are unable to hover. Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs get around these problems, usually by employing rotors like a helicopter. Now UK-based company AESIR has developed a VTOL UAV that has no external rotating parts, instead relying on a phenomenon known as the Coanda effect to generate lift...

Tags: Aesir, Coanda, Hoder, Military, Odin, Surveillance, UAV, Unmanned, Vehicle, Vidar, VTOL

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Flying-cam goes electric

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:09:14 +1000

We write a lot about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in military use but, as is so often the case with technology developed for the military, this kind of equipment is increasingly finding its way into civilian applications. The latest example to catch our eye is the Flying-Cam III E Special Aerial Response Autonomous Helicopter (SARAH) – a fully electric quasi-UAV camera platform for getting those majestic soaring shots for film and television shoots...

Tags: Camera, Electric, Flying-cam, Helicopter, Paris Motor Show, UAV, Unmanned, VTOL

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Build a lunar lander and win $1 million

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:38:21 +1000

The X-Prize foundation, who teamed up with Google in 2007 to create the USD$30 million Google Lunar X Prize competition, has recorded plenty of interest. Since Odyssey Moon’s registration, a further ten parties moved swiftly to take up the gauntlet last year. ..

Tags: Google, Lunar, Lunar X PRIZE, Moon, Northrop Grumman, Rocket, X-Prize

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Boeing Airborne Laser ‘shoots down’ first missile

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:19:00 +1000

On August 10, Boeing and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency were finally able to demonstrate that the US$1.1 billion Airborne Laser (ABL) program actually works. The ABL aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-400, took off from Edwards Air Force Base and located, tracked and fired on a target missile. Although a surrogate high-energy laser was used – rather than the megawatt-class laser that will ultimately arm it – instrumentation on the target verified the hit...

Tags: Airborne, Boeing, Laser, Missile Defense, Test

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Video: AeroVironment Nano aircraft

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:27:46 +1000

Not long ago we brought you an article about a tiny ‘nano air vehicle’ (NAV) that hovers by flapping its wings. Its creator, AeroVironment, has now released a video capturing details of the craft's impressive non-restricted flying capabilities...

Tags: Aeronvironment, Aircraft, DARPA, Military, Nano, Tiny, Video

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Flying taxi inventor dies in test crash

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:11:42 +1000

The inventor of the ‘flying taxi’, Michael Robert Dacre, has died after a newly-assembled Jetpod prototype crashed during a test flight at Tekah airstrip, Taiping. Dacre, 53, was British-based Avcen Ltd’s managing director. He died at the scene...

Tags: Avcen, Crash, Dacre, Died, Flying, Inventor, Jetpod, Taxi

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Video games finally pay off: Air Force needs more virtual flyers than real pilots

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:39:05 +1000

There was once a great Far Side cartoon that had ‘hopeful parents’ imagining a newspaper full of Help Wanted ads for skilled video game players. Well, it looks like Gary Larson might have been more prescient than he imagined. The US Air Force has just revealed that, this year, it will train more ‘pilots’ to remotely operate unmanned aircraft than pilots to fly fighters and bombers...

Tags: Aircraft, Combat, Military, Missions, Pilots, Predator, Reaper, Remote-control, UAV, Unmanned, US Air Force

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Boeing to market S-100 Camcopter

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:06:35 +1000

Expect to see more S-100 Camcopters taking to the skies following the announcement that Boeing and Austrian company Schiebel Industries (the S-100’s manufacturer) have joined forces to market and support the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The S-100 is an remote-controlled helicopter that can carry a wide variety of payloads, including a stabilized video system for surveillance and reconnaissance, and is well-suited to military and civilian applications. ..

Tags: Aircraft, Boeing, Camcopter, Camera, Helicopter, Military, Reconnaissance, Surveillance, UAS, UAV, Unmanned

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Solar blimp: Projet Sol'r to take on the English Channel

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:02:45 +1000

A group of French students are getting ready to fly across the English Channel in the world's first solar powered airship. One hundred years after Louis Blériot won the coveted Daily Mail prize of £1000 by being the first to traverse the watery expanse in his 3-cylinder, 25 horse-power XI monoplane, the Projet Sol'r team will take to the skies in Néphélios, a 22 meter long airship capable of cruising at 30-35kph. Gizmag recently talked to one of the project's founders, Arnaud Vaillant...

Tags: Airship, Construction, Energy, Environmental, Panels, Photovoltaic, Solar, Sustainable, Travel

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World’s first commercial fuel cell Unmanned Aerial System

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:32:43 +1000

The world’s first long endurance, commercial hydrogen fuel cell powered Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) will be showcased at AUVSI in Washington on August 11. Developed by BlueBird Aero Systems, “Boomerang” is a electric powered 9kg UAS which can fly for over nine hours using a high performance hydrogen-electric power system from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. Named AEROPAK, the self-contained 2kg fuel cell power system from Horizon can deliver 900Wh, at the same time as significantly increasing flight endurance, minimizing acoustic signature and reducing overall size of the UAS. ..

Tags: Batteries, Eco-friendly, Energy, Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, Military, UAS

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P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane officially unveiled

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:40:45 +1000

The U.S. Navy's new long-range maritime surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft has been officially unveiled at the Boeing facility in Renton, Washington. The P-8A Poseidon will provide anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities and offers greater payload capacity and advanced software and communications over the P-3C Orion which it is scheduled to replace from 2013...

Tags: Aviation, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Surveillance

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Nissan's Forest AC a breath of fresh air

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:38:06 +1000

Nissan's new Fuga vehicles will have an air conditioning system that emulates forest scents and refreshing breezes to make driving more comfortable. The company says the air conditioner uses a number of technologies to control cabin temperature, ventilation, aroma and humidity. It can even detect bad smells from outside and shuts its vents to prevent their entry. The system is based on the results of a joint research study with the Tokyo University of Science on the effects of aroma on human mental activity. ..

Tags: air conditioner, Aroma, Automotive, Driving, Forest, Nissan, Odor, Sharp, Temperature, Vehicle

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Keeping supersonic transport quiet

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:54:38 +1000

Supersonic business jets have traditionally got a bad rap when it comes to practicality and the environment, with high costs, loud noises and short range far outweighing the benefits of speed. The future of air travel will therefore be subject to stringent criteria to ensure that economy and eco-credentials, particularly noise pollution, don’t take a back seat to comfort and performance, and with this in mind Supersonic Aerospace International seem to have hit a luxury-class balance between the two...

Tags: Aircraft, Concept, environment, Luxury, Transport

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NASA competition offers green challenge for air travel

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:06:02 +1000

As we've seen with the ongoing X-Prize model, competitions can be a great way to provide incentive for technological advancements in transport. While the latest example, the Lunar X Prize, has its sight set on the heavens, NASA is running a competition with objectives a little closer to the ground. The Green Flight Challenge is enticing creative types with a USD$1.5 million prize in which designers need to create an aircraft that is low cost, quiet, has a short take-off, is 'road worthy' and gets excellent passenger-miles per gallon. ..

Tags: Aircraft, Fuel, green, NASA, Personal Flight, Transport, Vehicle

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Lockheed Martin rolls-out first F-35C Lightning II Stealth Fighter

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:47:41 +1000

The US Navy is a step closer to taking possession of its first-ever stealth fighter, the F-35C Lightning II. The 5th generation supersonic fighter plane was displayed at the company’s Fort Worth plant in front of top navy personnel this week and will undergo a wide-ranging series of ground tests before its first flight, scheduled for late 2009. ..

Tags: Aircraft, Carrier, Fighter, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Plane, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Stealth, Technology, US Navy

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Virgin Galactic mothership debuts at AirVenture

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:38:14 +1000

If Richard Branson turns up somewhere, you can be fairly certain there’ll be a photo opportunity attached. But Branson’s appearance on Monday at EAA Airventure, the world’s largest private air show, was much more than a PR stunt. It also marked the first public flight of Virgin Galactic’s “Mothership” Eve, and signaled space tourism is now closer than ever...

Tags: Sir Richard Branson, Space Tourism, Virgin Galactic

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New ion engine could reach Mars in 39 days

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:41:31 +1000

Last week, as the world celebrated the first lunar landing, Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins both called for NASA to make Mars its next goal. But the chemical propulsion system that took them to the moon would take six months, at least, to get a man to Mars and cost hundreds of billions of dollars. However, a new ion plasma rocket being developed by another former astronaut, Franklin Chang-Diaz, could potentially reach Mars in just 39 days using a fraction of the fuel...

Tags: Ad Astra, Apollo 11, Chang-Diaz, ion engine, Mars, Moon, NASA, Plasma, Rocket, Space Travel, VASIMR

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That 'small step for man' still very visible on the moon

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:28:01 +1000

Exactly forty years ago today, with fuel running short and alarms buzzing, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set their lunar module Eagle down on the face of the moon, and mankind took its very first step on another celestial body. Last week, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) returned its first imagery of the Apollo moon landing sites. Even after all these years, there’s something truly heroic about seeing those lunar module descent stages sitting silently on the surface, testament to man’s imagination and determination...

Tags: anniversary, Apollo 11, Lunar X PRIZE, Moon, NASA, Space Travel

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The new space race: first courier service to the moon

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:05:08 +1000

As we commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo moon landing this week, it’s worth asking what happened to those old dreams of lunar colonies and missions to Mars. NASA is reportedly struggling thanks to a general lack of interest and, it claims, funding. But, even with USD$187 billion, their Project Constellation is unlikely to reach the moon before 2020. The best hope right now seems to be driven by the private sector: Google’s USD$30 million Lunar X PRIZE and one of its most promising contenders, Odyssey Moon, which has announced plans to become the first private company to supply payload delivery services to the Moon...

Tags: Competition, Google, Lunar X PRIZE, Moon, NASA, Odyssey Moon

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Old aircraft never die, they just land on desks

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:24:57 +1000

Using recycled materials is nothing new when it comes to making furniture. But rarely are the results – literally – this polished. Using pieces of vintage aircraft ranging from B-25 bombers to DC-9’s and B-747’s, the Los Angeles-based MotoArt liberates the sleek, metal beauty of planes and re-purposes the pieces as distinctively modern tables, beds, couches, chairs and desks...

Tags: Aviation, furniture, MotoArt, Recycled

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