owl with no eyes?

In article om,
writes

Alistair Wright wrote:
"BT" wrote in message
news:uIh_g.5973$gM1.2824@fed1read12...
Have you ever been in the battle field and get shot at..?
this is not a "glider", but a test design of a powered Unmanned Arial

Actually it is a glider. it is the Windward Performance, Sparrowhawk.
MSU has a program to turn it into a UAV.

I understand the production of the Sparrowhawk is moving from Bend to
MSU.

Robert Mudd
Moriarty, New Mexico

It might make a better UAV if they can fix the little problem of the
wings falling off under operational conditions.
--
Mike Lindsay

Vaughn Simon wrote:
"Andy" wrote in message
ups.com...
The news report suggests that NTSB is not taking much interest. I
imagine Sparrow Hawk owners are more concerned.

My thoughts exactly! Perhaps the NTSB does not realize that the aircraft
was more than a "one off" test airframe, or perhaps they don't care because
there is no N number?

Vaughn

N401MS actually. See the FAA prelim data.

Georgia Tech has flown an H2 powered UAV. Next one is planned to fly
the Atlantic.

Frank Whiteley

Here is a link to Mississippi State' website.
http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3329

As stated below, it is registered with the FAA.
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...umbertxt=401MS

Wayne
HP-14 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/



"Frank Whiteley" wrote in message
ups.com...

Vaughn Simon wrote:
"Andy" wrote in message
ups.com...
The news report suggests that NTSB is not taking much interest. I
imagine Sparrow Hawk owners are more concerned.

My thoughts exactly! Perhaps the NTSB does not realize that the
aircraft
was more than a "one off" test airframe, or perhaps they don't care
because
there is no N number?

Vaughn

N401MS actually. See the FAA prelim data.

Georgia Tech has flown an H2 powered UAV. Next one is planned to fly
the Atlantic.

Frank Whiteley

"Ralph Jones" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 11:19:51 +0100, "Alistair Wright"
wrote:
Before you can shoot it down you have to SEE it. If it's made of
fiberglass, forget seeing it on radar, and once it gets in close, gets
its pictures and transmits them, who cares if it's shot down? You're
already busted. The next object overhead will be coming in very fast,
with a load of explosives aboard.

You don't have to see it visually. The telemetry transmissions from its
imaging kit will give you plenty of information about its position. It all
depends on how sophisticated your opposition is. A bunch of Talebans
probably wouldn't see this thing, or know about it till the big bang, but
an enemy with decent scanning gear could both see it, and turn it around,
and send it right home. I worked on a project like this for DoD twenty years
ago. I think they may just have got it to work by now.

Must be a hairy experience to ride in a plane being flown on RC by some guy
on the ground!!

Alistair W

"Wayne Paul" wrote in message
...
Here is a link to Mississippi State' website.
http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3329

As stated below, it is registered with the FAA.
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...umbertxt=401MS

I sit corrected.

Vaughn

On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 09:07:19 -0600, "Bill Daniels"
bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote:
[snip]

If the airframe could be coated
with an OLED film that could make it glow at exactly the same hue and
brightness as a dusty sky as seen from the point of interest, it would be
very difficult to see.

Sounds as if you remember Project Yehudi...;-)

rj

Mike Lindsay wrote:
In article om,
writes
Actually it is a glider. it is the Windward Performance, Sparrowhawk.
MSU has a program to turn it into a UAV.

I understand the production of the Sparrowhawk is moving from Bend to
MSU.

Robert Mudd
Moriarty, New Mexico

It might make a better UAV if they can fix the little problem of the
wings falling off under operational conditions.

"Fall off" or "torn off"? Do we know it failed below design limitations?


--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

"Alistair Wright" wrote in message
...

"BT" wrote in message
news:uIh_g.5973$gM1.2824@fed1read12...
Have you ever been in the battle field and get shot at..?
this is not a "glider", but a test design of a powered Unmanned Arial
Vehicle (UAV) based on a glider design with an engine attached.. the
"test pilot" was there as a safety pilot..

There are dozen's of UAV designs and sizes, each with their own "combat
mission" and used every day to collect information on the battle field..
and to keep the ground based operator with remote controlled sensors out
of harms way.

I doubt very much the utility of this UAV. As a former designer of weapon
systems and surveillance gear using UAVs I have to say a glider with its
very low speed would not last long over most battlefields. UAVs are mostly
used for low level surveillance AFAIK and the ones I have been involved
with (two UK types) all flew at quite a high speed to avoid being shot
down.

Alistair Wright
ex BAE Systems
Scotland

I will agree with you on this point.. I forget how many were shot down
during the latest skirmish in Israel.
Some UAVs are used for high level surveillence.. the US Predator flies
around 15K MSL and the Global Hawk is in the upper (very upper) Flight
Levels.

BT

"chipsoars" wrote in message
oups.com...

Alistair Wright wrote:
"BT" wrote in message
news:uIh_g.5973$gM1.2824@fed1read12...
Have you ever been in the battle field and get shot at..?
this is not a "glider", but a test design of a powered Unmanned Arial
Vehicle (UAV) based on a glider design with an engine attached.. the
"test
pilot" was there as a safety pilot..

There are dozen's of UAV designs and sizes, each with their own "combat
mission" and used every day to collect information on the battle
field..
and to keep the ground based operator with remote controlled sensors
out
of harms way.

I doubt very much the utility of this UAV. As a former designer of weapon
systems and surveillance gear using UAVs I have to say a glider with its
very low speed would not last long over most battlefields. UAVs are
mostly
used for low level surveillance AFAIK and the ones I have been involved
with
(two UK types) all flew at quite a high speed to avoid being shot down.

Alistair Wright
ex BAE Systems
Scotland

The 'glider' looks a lot like a Sparrow Hawk to me.

Chip F

It is.. a Sparrow Hawk with an engine added, and when he got the contract to
build lot's or "Owls" the commercial customers for his "Sparrow Hawk" were
pushed aside.

BT

Bill Daniels wrote:
There have been hints of interest from DARPA about autonomous UAV's that
utilize soaring techniques. In Iraq and Afganistan there are often good
thermals under bright, dusty skies. A motorglider-like UAV that can sustain
itself by soaring could extend its loiter time significantly.

As for stealth, in gliding mode the UAV would have very low thermal and a
acoustic signatures. Further out is daylight visual stealth - not exactly
an invisibility cloak but pretty darn good. If the airframe could be coated
with an OLED film that could make it glow at exactly the same hue and
brightness as a dusty sky as seen from the point of interest, it would be
very difficult to see. A high L/D glide mode would allow it to approach an
area of interest very stealthily.

This is all speculation on my part. I don't know what they are up to.

Bill Daniels


"Ralph Jones" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 11:19:51 +0100, "Alistair Wright"
wrote:


"BT" wrote in message
news:uIh_g.5973$gM1.2824@fed1read12...
Have you ever been in the battle field and get shot at..?
this is not a "glider", but a test design of a powered Unmanned Arial
Vehicle (UAV) based on a glider design with an engine attached.. the
"test
pilot" was there as a safety pilot..

There are dozen's of UAV designs and sizes, each with their own "combat
mission" and used every day to collect information on the battle field..
and to keep the ground based operator with remote controlled sensors out
of harms way.

I doubt very much the utility of this UAV. As a former designer of weapon
systems and surveillance gear using UAVs I have to say a glider with its
very low speed would not last long over most battlefields. UAVs are mostly
used for low level surveillance AFAIK and the ones I have been involved
with
(two UK types) all flew at quite a high speed to avoid being shot down.

Before you can shoot it down you have to SEE it. If it's made of
fiberglass, forget seeing it on radar, and once it gets in close, gets
its pictures and transmits them, who cares if it's shot down? You're
already busted. The next object overhead will be coming in very fast,
with a load of explosives aboard.

rj