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Collection:
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NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Helios Prototype on Lakebed
Title
Helios Prototype on Lakebed
Title
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Full Description:
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The Helios Prototype is an enlarged version of the Centurion flying wing, which flew a series of test flights at Dryden in late 1998. The craft has a wingspan of 247 feet, 41 feet greater than the Centurion, 2 1/2 times that of its solar-powered Pathfinder flying wing and longer than either the Boeing 747 jetliner or Lockheed C-5 transport aircraft. It is one of several remotely-piloted aircraft-also known as uninhabited aerial vehicles or UAV's-being developed as technology demonstrators by several small airframe manufacturers under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., of Monrovia, Calif., the unique craft is intended to demonstrate two key missions: the ability to reach and sustain horizontal flight at 100,000 feet altitude on a single-day flight, and to maintain flight above 50,000 feet altitude for at least four days, both on electrical power derived from non-polluting solar energy. During later flights, AeroVironment's flight test team will evaluate new motor-control software which may allow the pitch of the aircraft (the nose-up or nose-down attitude in relation to the horizon) to be controlled entirely by the motors. If successful, production versions of the Helios could eliminate the elevators on the wing's trailing edge now used for pitch control, saving weight and increasing the area of the wing available for installation of solar cells.
Full_Description
The Helios Prototype is an enlarged version of the Centurion flying wing, which flew a series of test flights at Dryden in late 1998. The craft has a wingspan of 247 feet, 41 feet greater than the Centurion, 2 1/2 times that of its solar-powered Pathfinder flying wing and longer than either the Boeing 747 jetliner or Lockheed C-5 transport aircraft. It is one of several remotely-piloted aircraft-also known as uninhabited aerial vehicles or UAV's-being developed as technology demonstrators by several small airframe manufacturers under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., of Monrovia, Calif., the unique craft is intended to demonstrate two key missions: the ability to reach and sustain horizontal flight at 100,000 feet altitude on a single-day flight, and to maintain flight above 50,000 feet altitude for at least four days, both on electrical power derived from non-polluting solar energy. During later flights, AeroVironment's flight test team will evaluate new motor-control software which may allow the pitch of the aircraft (the nose-up or nose-down attitude in relation to the horizon) to be controlled entirely by the motors. If successful, production versions of the Helios could eliminate the elevators on the wing's trailing edge now used for pitch control, saving weight and increasing the area of the wing available for installation of solar cells.
Full Description
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Date:
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11/01/1999
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NASA Center:
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Dryden Flight Research Center
NASA_Center
Dryden Flight Research Center
NASA Center
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Subject Category:
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Unique Aircraft
Subject_Category
Unique Aircraft
Subject Category
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Keywords:
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Dryden
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Keywords:
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Aircraft
Keywords
Aircraft
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Research
Keywords
Research
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Vehicle
Keywords
Vehicle
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Environmental
Keywords
Environmental
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Technology
Keywords
Technology
Keywords
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Keywords:
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and
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Keywords:
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Solar
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Keywords:
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Sensor
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Keywords:
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ERAST
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Keywords:
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Helios
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Keywords:
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Centurion
Keywords
Centurion
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Unmanned
Keywords
Unmanned
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Aerial
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Keywords:
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Uninhabited
Keywords
Uninhabited
Keywords
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Keywords:
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UAV
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Audience:
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General Public
Audience
General Public
Audience
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facet_where:
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Monrovia
facet_where
Monrovia
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
facet_where
Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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11-01-1999
facet_when
11-01-1999
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1999
facet_when_year
1999
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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EC99-45210-1
Image_#
EC99-45210-1
Image #
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original_url:
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original_url
original_url
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UID:
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SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0198
UID
SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0198
UID
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Center:
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DFRC
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Center Number:
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EC99-45210-1
Center_Number
EC99-45210-1
Center Number
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GRIN DataBase Number:
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GPN-2000-000198
GRIN_DataBase_Number
GPN-2000-000198
GRIN DataBase Number
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Creator-Photographer:
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NASA Tom Tschida
Creator-Photographer
NASA Tom Tschida
Creator-Photographer
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Original Source:
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DIGITAL
Original_Source
DIGITAL
Original Source
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