Sun, Jan 17, 2010
Urban Aeronautics’ Rotorless VTOL Aircraft Demonstrates
Hover Capability
The AirMule, a single-engine, VTOL Cargo and MedEvac UAS
developed by Israel-based Urban Aeronautics, has successfully
completed the first phase of its flight testing. This phase has
consisted of tethered autonomous hovers with the vehicle’s
Fly-By-Wire control system providing the necessary
auto-stabilization in all three rotational axes of the vehicle ...
pitch, roll and yaw.
Control of the vehicle is accomplished through a company
developed, four channel, redundant flight control system that
relies almost entirely on inertial measurements augmented by GPS
for translational position and velocity readings. Height above
ground is measured by two laser altimeters. 460 channels of
telemetry provide real-time data to the ground based operators,
enabling them to monitor the correct operation of the Turbomeca
Arriel1 730 horsepower turbo-shaft engine as well as
sub-systems. These include the three company developed
gearboxes, the two main lift rotors with their hydraulic pitch
change mechanism and three uplink and downlink communication
channels.
Results from the tests have confirmed the company’s
predictions regarding power required for hover. The present hover
height of approximately 2 feet is just outside of ground effect for
this particular configuration. The aircraft uses a system of vanes
for yaw and roll control, and in the test demonstrated the
vehicle’s ability to perform hover with very high precision
in gusty wind conditions (currently estimated and confirmed by the
recent hover tests at 50 knots for the fully developed
product).
Based on the success of these initial hover tests the vehicle is
now being readied for the next phase which will include vehicle
position stabilization in X,Y and height above ground. During
this upcoming phase the safety wires that are now connected to the
tarmac will be removed.
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