AeroVironment

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AeroVironment Inc is a technology company in Monrovia, California that is primarily involved in energy systems, electric vehicle systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Paul B. MacCready, Jr., a famous designer of human powered aircraft, founded the company in 1971. The company is probably most well-known for developing a series of lightweight human-powered and then solar-powered vehicles.

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[edit] Vehicles developed

Among the vehicles the company built are:

  • Gossamer Condor - The first successful human-powered airplane. The Gossamer Condor is on display at the National Air and Space Museum, since it won the first Kremer Prize in 1977.
  • Gossamer Albatross - In 1979 this human-powered plane flew 23 miles across the English Channel and claimed the largest prize in aviation history. Another of these planes is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum.
  • Solar Challenger - This plane flew 163 miles from Paris France to England on solar power.
  • Pathfinder and Pathfinder-Plus - This unmanned plane demonstrated that an airplane could stay aloft for an extended period of time fueled purely by solar power. After initial successes, the Pathfinder was rebuilt into the larger Pathfinder-Plus, which is also on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
  • Helios - Derived from the Pathfinder-Plus, this solar cell & fuel cell powered UAV set a world record for flight at 96,863 feet (29,524 meters).
  • Sunraycer - This solar-powered car won the first world's first solar car race in Australia in 1987. The next fastest car finished two days after the Sunraycer. This car is at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
  • GM Impact - This was an electric car, developed as a serious prototype for a mass-production consumer car.
  • Puma - This is a small research UAV designed to demonstrate advanced propulsion technologies for such aircraft. It flew in June, 2007 for five hours[1] powered by an onboard "fuel cell battery hybrid energy storage system." Another attempt in November, 2007 saw a flight time greater than seven hours[2]. Puma integrates licensed ProCoreTM fuel cell system technology from Protonex Technology Corporation and hydrogen generation technology from Millennium Cell, Inc.
  • SkyTote - This UAV is a VTOL-fixed wing hybrid plane, which has attained the advantages of both plane designs (respectively VTOL takeoff capability and decreased energy usage)

[edit] Programs

AeroVironment holds a five-year, $4.7 million IDIQ (indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity) contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for the development of advanced propulsion technologies for UAVs. The contract also provides for specific technological tasks such as integration of solar cells into aircraft wings, electric motor efficiency improvement technologies, and development of hydrogen storage systems for aircraft.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Puma Small UAS Achieves Record Flight Using Fuel Cell Battery Hybrid System", Aerotech News and Review, June 29, 2007
  2. ^ "Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle again Achieves Record Flight Time Using Protonex Fuel Cell System Technology"Protonex press release Nov. 28 2007

[edit] External links

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