Sunday, November 11, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Who needs petrol? Solar plane flies from Switzerland to Spain without using a drop of fuel (although it did take 24 hours...)
The sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse has landed safely in Madrid this morning - and now the plane waits to make another trip, this time across the Mediterranean.
Pilot Andre Borschberg successfully landed in the sunny capital of Madrid at 7.30am BST, following a 24-hour trip from Payerne in western Switzerland.
While this may not be setting any speed records anytime soon, the plane did not need a drop of fuel to get between the two countries.
The next stop, after a three day stopover, is Morocco, at which point the plane will have completed a 1,5550-mile fuel-less journey.
'It was incredible to fly alongside the barrier of clouds during most of the flight and not need to hesitate to fly above them. This confirms our confidence in the capacity of solar energy even further.'
Assuming all goes well on Stage 2 of the journey, the plane will fly a round-the-world flight in 2014.
It currently holds the record for the longest flight by a manned solar-powered aeroplane, staying in the skies for 26 hours, 10 minutes and 19 seconds above Switzerland, at a height of over 30,000 feet.
His colleague Bertrand Piccard will take the helm of the aircraft for the second stretch of its journey, to the Moroccan capital Rabat.
ONE SIX RIGHT
"One Six Right" is an exhilarating documentary film that celebrates the unsung hero of aviation the local airport by tracing the life, history, and struggles of an airport icon: Southern Californias Van Nuys Airport. Featuring thrilling aerial photography and a sweeping original score, the film dispels common misconceptions and opposes criticism of General Aviation airports. Through the love story of one airport, past to present, the film shares the timeless romance of flying with all ages.
The film takes viewers on a journey of spectacular aerial sequences and tells a romantic story through the accounts of passionate pilots, air traffic controllers, historians and flight enthusiasts, including well-known faces such as Sydney Pollack, Lorenzo Lamas, Paul Moyer, Hal Fishman and many others. There is no off-screen narrator.
The film uncovers the rich history of this airport Amelia Earhart broke a world speed record over its runways, Marilyn Monroe was discovered while working in its hangars, and scenes from Casablanca were filmed on its grounds. Almost every type of aircraft has graced its runways, from the primitive airplanes of the 1920s to the state-of-the-art business jets of today. Through the history of the Van Nuys Airport (VNY), the viewer comes to have a new appreciation for the significance of all General Aviation airports as a critical component of the communities they serve. Located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, VNY is today the world's busiest General Aviation airport and contributes over $1 billion each year to the Southern California economy.
One Six Right explores common misconceptions about General Aviation airports, which are often criticized for noise pollution and viewed as exclusive playgrounds for the rich. The film creates an awareness of the threat to these community airports through staggering statistics of airports that no longer exist, and the rapid rate at which they are continuing to close (1 per week in the U.S.). Airports are not a renewable resource these smaller and often forgotten airports are the foundation of the entire aviation industry, contributing significantly to global commerce and are the breeding ground of the pilots of tomorrow.
A Plane You Can Park in the Garage: The ICON A5
Steen Strand and Kirk Hawkins, founders of ICON Aircraft, describe the features of their groundbreaking A5 light-sport aircraft. They show video demonstrating the personal aircraft handles more like a Jet Ski than a Cessna.
-----
Kirk and Steen speak to design's power to unleash new markets. They tell the story of how ICON Aircraft set out to maximize the vast potential of the FAA's regulatory changes by creating, for the first time, a recreational powersport for flying.
They discuss the challenges in the development of the ICON A5, an airplane that makes flying more accessible, safer, and more enticing than ever before. - IDEO Know How Talks
Before graduating from Stanford Business School in 2005 and founding ICON, Kirk Hawkins flew F-16s in the U.S. Air Force and 767s for American Airlines. Prior to the USAF, he worked in both aviation and aerospace engineering most of his early career.
After earning his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University, he was the Director of Engineering at an aerospace contractor before returning for his Masters in Engineering from Stanford University in 1995, specializing in manufacturing.
Steen Strand is a seasoned sports product entrepreneur with 14 years of hands-on operational startup experience. Strand's expertise is in product design, marketing and brand building. Early in his career he worked at IDEO, one of the world's leading design consultancies before founding Freebord, a skateboard company with a global subculture of fanatical riders.
He later served as COO and Director of Product at Secara, a funded healthcare startup. Steen received his MS in Product Design from Stanford University, where he periodically instructs courses in Product Design. Steen's designs have been featured in numerous TV shows, websites and magazines, including Time, Forbes, Newsweek and Wired.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
BOBASMA.......
Experience has shown that Large Lateral Deviations and Large Longitudinal Errors have had significant influence on the outcome of safety assessments before and after implementation of PBN-based separation in a portion of airspace. Each ANSP will need to establish the means to detect and report the occurrence of large horizontal-plane deviations.
The surveillance information available to ATC units provides the basis for identifying large horizontal plane deviations. A programme for identifying large horizontal-plane deviations should be established and ATC units should report such events monthly.
One of the principal duty of an EMA is to ensure the existence of a programme to collect this information, assess the occurrences and initiate remedial action to correct systemic problems.
BOBASMA will provide monitoring services for the international oceanic airspace of the FIT-BOB member States, where implementation of ADS/CPDLC technologies is undertaken to enhance surveillance and communications capability, leading to significant benefits for operational efficiency and regularity of flights.
The Flight Information Regions for which BOBASMA will be providing EMA services are
- Chennai
- Mumbai
- Kolkata
- Delhi
- Dhaka
- Yangon
- Colombo
- Male
- Lahore
- Karachi
- Kabul
Monday, October 8, 2012
Websites
Flight Safety
FAA. Safer skies through education
FAA. Safer skies through education
NALL reports - Flight safety publications/articles
NTSB Aviation Database and Synopsis
ASRS. Aviation Safety Reporting System and Callback publications
Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA)
Find a Designated Pilot Examinerhttp://av-info.faa.gov/designeesearch.asp
Find an Aviation Medical Examiner
http://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/
FAA MedXPress form 8500-8
https://medxpress.faa.gov/
Flight Standards Service - Civil Aviation Registryhttp://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afs/afs700/
Airworthiness directiveshttp://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/MainFrame?OpenFrameSet
Find an Aviation Medical Examiner
http://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/
FAA MedXPress form 8500-8
https://medxpress.faa.gov/
Flight Standards Service - Civil Aviation Registryhttp://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afs/afs700/
Airworthiness directiveshttp://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/MainFrame?OpenFrameSet
Electronic code of Federal Regulationshttp://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title14/14tab_02.tpl
Aeronautical information manual - Official guide to basic flight information and ATC procedureshttp://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/
FAA handbooks and manuals - for beginners and aviation professionalshttp://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/
Airman Practical Test Standards (PTS)http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/airmen/test_standards/
Education and LearningAeronautical information manual - Official guide to basic flight information and ATC procedureshttp://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/
FAA handbooks and manuals - for beginners and aviation professionalshttp://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/
Airman Practical Test Standards (PTS)http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/airmen/test_standards/
Navigation Services - Global Positioning System
Airport Taxi Diagramshttp://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/taxi/
NASA Foilsimhttp://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/FoilSim/index.html
Global airline movements
http://planefinder.net/
AVweb
http://www.avweb.com/
Organisations and Associations
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Learn to Fly
http://www.sportpilot.org/
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assocationwww.aopa.org/
National Association of Flight Instructors
www.nafinet.org/
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assocationwww.aopa.org/
National Association of Flight Instructors
www.nafinet.org/
Saturday, October 6, 2012
TAURUS E G2
FAQ'S
I wish to know more about the batteries used in Taurus Electro G2
Battery type is a special-made LiPoly battery, 10 Ah capacity per cell, 25 C discharge rate. The system includes 4 boxes where the batteries are located, the BMS also. The standard battery configuration is 128 cells, optional are 192 cells. They fit in the same 4 boxes in both cases.
What are the variables influencing the top-of-climb capability?
There are a lot of factors for this, from cockpit load, runway condition (how much energy you burn for the taxi&take-off), ambient temperature, thermal properties of different components, controller parameters, etc. Ambient temperature is the most important factor of all.
Is it mandatory to wait a long time until engine is hot before start?
Absolutely not. The colder – the better for the engine. It will not be recommended to apply full power however if the batteries are below 5 deg. Celsius.
How does the Propeller stop and the engine retract? Is it all fully automatic?
Yes. Fully automatic systems include the brake, which is all electric, and positioning via a magnetic 16-bit hall-sonde encoder. When the propeller is correctly positioned, it can retract. The stopping, positioning and retraction of the propeller work flawlessly at the press of a single button.
Is engine and controller cooling adequate even in the summer time Australian conditions?
The cooling is proving to be sufficient. In any case, there is a protection logic built in which will slowly reduce the power on the system if it will be picking up temperature too fast (considers also temperature gradient, not just limit temperatures!)
Is it possible to retract the engine right after stopping it, or is it mandatory to wait while the batteries cool down?
Batteries essentially do not become over 50 deg.C hot. It's not necessary to cool them down – you can retract immediately at any time, mid-flight or on the ground!
Is there a recommendation »don't take-off when the remaining power is under a certain percent« ?
The system will not allow you to do that. If less than 3 minutes of battery endurance is indicated, it will not go to take-off power and it will produce a warning.
How long does it need to charge at 220V?
3.5 hours for the standard battery configuration, 5 hours for the optional configuration. This is when the batteries are completely empty! You can monitor all this via the ESYS-MAN instrument. Charging is also possible form the Pipistrel's Solar Trailer.
Is charging with 380 is recommended?
No, the charger is a single-phase 220V or 110V.
Is there any built-in safety in case of too high temperature or controller dysfunctions ?
There is a multilayer logic in place. The controller takes care of itself. In case of too high temperature it will first reduce power (up to 5%) and then switch itself off in case of severe over-heating. BUT BEFORE THIS OCCURS THE FOLLOWING WILL HAPPEN:
We have an on-board computer now. It measures not only the temperatures of all components of the system (motor, controller, 4 temperature probes per battery box etc), but also a bunch of other parameters and has the limit temperatures as well as limit temperature gradients programmed inside. For example, if the motor is heating up more than a certain amount of degrees-per-minute, it will reduce power to track the maximum permitted temperature gradient (slope), in order not to reach the limit temperature at all. The same goes for the controller, as well as for the batteries. Manual override is possible, of course. There are warnings which display on the screen, too.
Will parachute remain usable in case of battery overheat / fire ?
Thanks to the super-precise Battery Management System, which was specially developed by Pipistrel just for Taurus Electro G2, battery issues are extremely unlikely. Furthermore, the batteries are placed in self-contained metal boxes in the fuselage. In event of an overheat/fire, the parachute remains fully functional.
How is throttle control executed?
The system uses throttle-by-wire concept. The throttle input is received at the ESYS-MAN, filtered with protection logic and the reference for the RPM is then sent over to the motor controller via CAN bus. It is all very elaborate, not via a simple potentiometer as it is common with other aircraft.
Battery type is a special-made LiPoly battery, 10 Ah capacity per cell, 25 C discharge rate. The system includes 4 boxes where the batteries are located, the BMS also. The standard battery configuration is 128 cells, optional are 192 cells. They fit in the same 4 boxes in both cases.
The basic option gives you total capacity of 4.75 kWh, from which it is sensible not to use more than 80% due to battery cell life. Effectively you end up with 3.8 kWh of useful energy. This version fully meets European microlight standards regarding the empty weight! The battery pack weighs 10.5 kg per box, there are 4 boxes, totalling at 42 kg.
The optional pack adds capacity to reach 7.10 kWh total, again by taking 80% »sensible discharge level« you are effectively at 5.7 kWh of useful energy. This battery pack weighs 13.9 kg per box, there are also 4 boxes on board, totaling at 55.6 kg.
What is the endurance of the Taurus Electro G2 in real life?
In terms of endurance the following margins apply for the basic battery pack:
20 kW power output: 11 min 30 sec
30 kW power output: 7 min 40 sec
40 kW power output: 5 min 40 sec (theoretical, expected is 1 min on 40 kW, then reduced power)
The data may change because of ambient temperature. 80% sensible discharge level is taken into account.
In terms of endurance the following margins apply for the optional battery pack:
20 kW power output: 17 min 10 sec
30 kW power output: 11 min 20 sec
40 kW power output: 8 min 35 sec (theoretical, expected is 1 min on 40 kW, then reduce power)
The data may change because of ambient temperature. 80% sensible discharge level is taken into account. Please note that in horizontal flight only 7 kW is needed, so theoretical endurance reaches 1 hour.
In terms of endurance the following margins apply for the basic battery pack:
20 kW power output: 11 min 30 sec
30 kW power output: 7 min 40 sec
40 kW power output: 5 min 40 sec (theoretical, expected is 1 min on 40 kW, then reduced power)
The data may change because of ambient temperature. 80% sensible discharge level is taken into account.
In terms of endurance the following margins apply for the optional battery pack:
20 kW power output: 17 min 10 sec
30 kW power output: 11 min 20 sec
40 kW power output: 8 min 35 sec (theoretical, expected is 1 min on 40 kW, then reduce power)
The data may change because of ambient temperature. 80% sensible discharge level is taken into account. Please note that in horizontal flight only 7 kW is needed, so theoretical endurance reaches 1 hour.
What are the variables influencing the top-of-climb capability?
There are a lot of factors for this, from cockpit load, runway condition (how much energy you burn for the taxi&take-off), ambient temperature, thermal properties of different components, controller parameters, etc. Ambient temperature is the most important factor of all.
What maintenence is required for the powertrain?
The maintenance is virtually care-free!
Battery system takes care of itself but needs to be recharged to full charge at least once every 90 days to keep them »healthy«.
Controller maintenence: nothing, just clean the cooling duct.
Motor maintenence: check main bearing for axial free play and tighten main bearing every 10 hours of motor operation.
The maintenance is virtually care-free!
Battery system takes care of itself but needs to be recharged to full charge at least once every 90 days to keep them »healthy«.
Controller maintenence: nothing, just clean the cooling duct.
Motor maintenence: check main bearing for axial free play and tighten main bearing every 10 hours of motor operation.
Is it mandatory to wait a long time until engine is hot before start?
Absolutely not. The colder – the better for the engine. It will not be recommended to apply full power however if the batteries are below 5 deg. Celsius.
How does the Propeller stop and the engine retract? Is it all fully automatic?
Yes. Fully automatic systems include the brake, which is all electric, and positioning via a magnetic 16-bit hall-sonde encoder. When the propeller is correctly positioned, it can retract. The stopping, positioning and retraction of the propeller work flawlessly at the press of a single button.
Is engine and controller cooling adequate even in the summer time Australian conditions?
The cooling is proving to be sufficient. In any case, there is a protection logic built in which will slowly reduce the power on the system if it will be picking up temperature too fast (considers also temperature gradient, not just limit temperatures!)
Is it possible to retract the engine right after stopping it, or is it mandatory to wait while the batteries cool down?
Batteries essentially do not become over 50 deg.C hot. It's not necessary to cool them down – you can retract immediately at any time, mid-flight or on the ground!
Is it possible to extract and restart the engine mid-flight?
Of course. As with the retraction, it is all automatic.
Of course. As with the retraction, it is all automatic.
Is there a recommendation »don't take-off when the remaining power is under a certain percent« ?
The system will not allow you to do that. If less than 3 minutes of battery endurance is indicated, it will not go to take-off power and it will produce a warning.
How long does it need to charge at 220V?
3.5 hours for the standard battery configuration, 5 hours for the optional configuration. This is when the batteries are completely empty! You can monitor all this via the ESYS-MAN instrument. Charging is also possible form the Pipistrel's Solar Trailer.
Is charging with 380 is recommended?
No, the charger is a single-phase 220V or 110V.
Is there any built-in safety in case of too high temperature or controller dysfunctions ?
There is a multilayer logic in place. The controller takes care of itself. In case of too high temperature it will first reduce power (up to 5%) and then switch itself off in case of severe over-heating. BUT BEFORE THIS OCCURS THE FOLLOWING WILL HAPPEN:
We have an on-board computer now. It measures not only the temperatures of all components of the system (motor, controller, 4 temperature probes per battery box etc), but also a bunch of other parameters and has the limit temperatures as well as limit temperature gradients programmed inside. For example, if the motor is heating up more than a certain amount of degrees-per-minute, it will reduce power to track the maximum permitted temperature gradient (slope), in order not to reach the limit temperature at all. The same goes for the controller, as well as for the batteries. Manual override is possible, of course. There are warnings which display on the screen, too.
Will parachute remain usable in case of battery overheat / fire ?
Thanks to the super-precise Battery Management System, which was specially developed by Pipistrel just for Taurus Electro G2, battery issues are extremely unlikely. Furthermore, the batteries are placed in self-contained metal boxes in the fuselage. In event of an overheat/fire, the parachute remains fully functional.
How is throttle control executed?
The system uses throttle-by-wire concept. The throttle input is received at the ESYS-MAN, filtered with protection logic and the reference for the RPM is then sent over to the motor controller via CAN bus. It is all very elaborate, not via a simple potentiometer as it is common with other aircraft.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
List will be updated soon with links to their respective websites.....
A
Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics Ltd.Air Charter Services Pvt. Ltd.
Air Charters India
Air India Ltd.
Alcoa Fastening Systems Aerospace
Avaids Technovators Pvt. Ltd.
Aviation India
B
Bengal Institute of TechnocratsD
Deccan Aviation Ltd.G
Global Vectra Helicorp LtdH
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.I
India Flysafe Aviation Ltd.IndiGo
J
Jagson Airlines LtdJet Airways (India) Ltd.
K
Kingfisher Airlines LtdO
Obstruction LightsR
Rajiv Gandhi Aviation AcademyS
SpiceJet Ltd.T
Taneja Aerospace & Aviation LtdTesscorn Systems
The Bird GroupThomas Cook (India) Ltd
Trans Asian Aviation
LIST OF FLYING CLUBS/SCHOOLS/CENTRES ETC. COVERED UNDER SUBSIDY SCHEME
Sl.No.
|
Name
|
State
|
Total No. of Aircraft
|
Name of C.F.I.
|
Telephone No.
|
|
1.
|
Delhi Flying Club, Delhi |
Delhi
|
12
|
Capt. M.S. Beniwal |
4618931
|
|
2.
|
Gujarat Flying Club, Baroda |
Gujarat
|
9
|
Capt. B.K. Manha |
442631
|
|
3.
|
Madras Flying Club, Chennai |
Tamil Nadu
|
7
|
Capt. N. Jai Prakash |
2341709
|
|
4.
|
Patiala Aviation Club, Patiala |
Punjab
|
6
|
Capt. G.s. Brar |
301823
|
|
5.
|
Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Karnal + 2 branches at Hissar & Pinjore |
Haryana
|
6
|
Capt. Kamal Kishor |
0814-252320/ 250731
|
|
6.
|
Andhra Pradesh Flying Club, Hyderabad. |
Andhra Pradesh
|
8
|
Capt. G.B. Reddy |
7753759
|
|
7.
|
Madhya Pradesh Flying Club, Indore + 1 Branch - Bhopal |
Madhya Pradesh
|
12
|
Capt. Manoj Chabria |
413959
|
|
8.
|
Ludhiana Aviation Club, Ludhiana |
Punjab
|
6
|
Capt. Rachpal Singh |
844539
|
|
9.
|
Bihar Flying Training Institute, Patna |
Bihar
|
5
|
Capt. N.K. Singh | |
|
10.
|
Govt. Flying Training School, Bangalore |
Karnataka
|
6
|
Capt. N. Jai Prakash |
332251
|
|
11.
|
Hissar Aviation Club - Branch of Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation |
Haryana
|
5
|
Capt. M.S. Baniwal |
37556
|
|
12.
|
Bombay flying Club, Mumbai |
Maharashtra
|
8
|
Capt. A.J. Bodas |
6185100
|
|
13.
|
Kerala Aviation Training Instt. Thiruvananthapuram. |
Kerala
|
4
|
Capt. Anil Prakash | |
|
14.*
|
Nagpur Flying Club, Nagpur |
Maharashtra
|
5
|
Nil | |
|
15.*
|
Coimbatore Aviation Training Academy, Coimbatore. |
Tamil Nadu
|
6
|
Capt. P. Ganpathiappan | |
|
16.
|
Rajasthan State Flying School, Jaipur |
Rajasthan
|
4
|
Capt. Mohinder Singh | |
|
17.
|
Government Aviation Training Institute, Bhubaneshwar |
Orissa
|
4
|
Capt. B.P.S. Budhiraja | |
|
18.*
|
Government Flying Training Institute, Calcutta |
West Bengal
|
4
|
Capt. Bhasker Pandey | |
|
19.
|
Government Flying Training Centre, Lucknow. |
Uttar Pradesh
|
12
|
Capt. Anjit singh | |
|
20.*
|
Assam Flying Club, Guwahati |
Assam
|
2
|
Nil | |
|
21.
|
Northern India Flying Club, Jullandhar Cantt. (camp at Patiala) |
Punjab
|
5
|
Capt. S.S. Kang | |
|
22.
|
Amritsar Aviation Club, Amritsar |
Punjab
|
6
|
Capt. Rachpal Singh | |
|
23.
|
Jamshedpur Co-operative Flying Club, Jamshedpur. |
Bihar
|
3
|
Capt. Santosh Kumar | |
|
24.*
|
Bansathali Vidyapith Gliding & Flying Club, Banasthali |
Rajasthan
|
1
|
Nil | |
|
25.
|
Pinjore Aviation Club, Pinjore (Distt. Ambala) |
Haryana
|
4
|
Capt. G.S. Cheema | |
|
26.*
|
Andaman & Nicobar Flying training Institute, Port Blair |
U.T. Andaman & Nicobar Islands
|
1
|
Nil | |
|
27.
|
Ajanta Flying Club, Aurangabad |
Maharashtra
|
Nil | ||
|
28.
|
Kanpur Branch of SCAUPFTC, Lucknow. |
U.P.
|
Capt. K.B. Singh | ||
|
29.
|
Faizabad Branch of SCAUPFTC, Lucknow. |
U.P.
|
Capt S.K. Bhatnagar | ||
|
30.
|
Varanasi Branch of SCAUPFTC, Lucknow. |
U.P.
|
Capt. V.V. Singh | ||
|
31.
|
Bhopal Branch of MP Flying Club, Indore |
Madhya Pradesh
|
Capt. A.K. Singh | ||
|
32.
|
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Urban Akademi, Fursatganj, under Ministry of Civil Aviation not covered unser subsidy scheme |
Uttar Pradesh
|
Air Cdr. P. Bharadwaj |
0535-202808
|
* These Flying Clubs are not operational.
Data taken from DGCA website...visit the link for more info http://dgca.nic.in/flyclub/flyclub.htm
How space technology Improves Human Health
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/MedicalBenefits/main.html
Click on the above link for new window which gives u flash content describing the above question....
Click on the above link for new window which gives u flash content describing the above question....
Breaking Down Barriers for Unmanned Flight
The new communications system being designed at NASA Glenn will communicate flight information between ground stations and unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Ikhana.
This aircraft is a modified Predator B located at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Image credit: NASA....
The aviation industry is built on the condition that a pilot is at the controls of any aircraft in the skies. But what do you do when there's no one in the cockpit?
NASA Glenn Research Center is part of a large research project meant to address the challenges of operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in American air space.
You've probably heard about aerial drones, which have been deployed overseas in military conflicts for years. These unmanned vehicles have done important work in finding targets and keeping our troops safe.
But there are many opportunities to use the aircraft for peaceful missions here in the United States, such as tracking wildfires, weather monitoring, real estate mapping, cargo transportation, law enforcement and crop surveying to name a few. UAVs allow longer duration missions, flights into higher risk areas and lower cost flight into upper areas of the atmosphere.
Today, commercial or civil UAVs are prevented from operating in national air space, but NASA is helping break down the technical barriers to open up new aerial capabilities.
Glenn scientists are addressing one specific and critical area of UAV operation—communications. "Unmanned aircraft still need a human in communication with the aircraft and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)," says James Griner, project engineer. "In order to do that, we must have a communication system in place."
First you have to start with allocating radio frequencies and that takes the agreement of an international body of regulators. These are global frequencies requiring many countries to come together for a vote. The negotiations take years, but in February the World Radiocommunication Conference sanctioned two bands for UAV use.
Glenn engineers, along with experts from Rockwell Collins, an avionics radio manufacturer, are designing hardware that allows pilots located at ground stations to send information via a series of radio communication towers to the aircraft and the FAA. The prototype radios and towers will be tested at the same time the aviation community develops standards to see how they align.
This illustration shows the communication links between ground stations, airports, satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles. Image credit: NASA
› View Larger Image
Prototype towers will be built at Glenn and in southern Ohio to test integration and communications between the towers. Along with NASA Ames Research Center engineers, who are designing the ground station, the goal is to provide seamless interaction between ground control, towers and FAA air traffic controllers.
Flight tests will begin this year to test the new frequencies which have never been used for air to ground communications before. Security will be a concern and Griner's team will develop secure protocols to make sure hackers can't access the communication system and take over aircraft during missions.
Glenn is installing an autopilot system on its T-34C airplane to create a surrogate UAV aircraft, which means engineers can fly it from the ground during testing, but there is a pilot on board for safety purposes.
"We are basically creating a whole new industry," explains Griner. "Once the technical barriers are figured out, UAVs will be used mainly for long endurance, high altitude missions that are not feasible or practical with piloted aircraft."
More info on http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/uav.html
NATIONAL COMPETITION FOR MICRO AIR VEHICLES
MICAV2013
OBJECTIVE
Bring out the capability of vehicles and technologies being developed in the country for performing a defined mission using multiple MICAVs (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, Flapping Wing and combinations) and Unmanned Ground vehicles (UGVs).
FOCUS / THRUST AREAS
Communication, Precise Navigation, Sensor Capabilities, Video Transmission, Multi Vehicle coordination, Cooperative flying, Vision based manual flying through windows.
COMPETITION DETAIL Competition will be held during April 2013 MICAVs which will fit into a 300mm sphere is allowed inside flyzone MINI Air Vehicles (MINAVs) > 300mm but not exceeding 2m wing span can fly in the zone but above 500m Above Ground Level (AGL) UGVs of size - Upto 2m can be used Points will be awarded for part completion of the mission Participating teams will be required to complete a mission in stipulated time. Mission is defined and details are available here
AWARDSWinner : Rs. 3 LakhRunner up : Rs. 2 LakhSecond Runner up : Rs. 1 Lakh Best Design : Rs 1 Lakh
CONTACTS
Raghavendra Bhadrinath
Event Coordinator, MICAV-2013, Knowledge and Technology Management Division, National Aerospace Laboroatories, Kodihalli, Bangalore – 560017Phone – 080 – 2508 6149, Mobile – 0 94480 24616, email – rbi@nal.res.in
Dr. G Ramesh
Head, MAV Unit
National Aerospace Laboratories, Kodihalli, Bangalore – 560017Phone – 080 2505 1730, email - rameshg@nal.res.in
For more info click on the link http://www.nal.res.in/micav2013
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