Boeing Awarded DARPA Contract to Develop Ultra-Long-Endurance Aircraft

Aerovironment gave a high altitude solar powered aircraft a shot. Now
Boeing is going to give it a go.

Boeing Awarded DARPA Contract to Develop Ultra-Long-Endurance
Aircraft Technologies

Vulture is an ultra-long-endurance aircraft that could stay aloft
for several years and serve as a pseudo-satellite system. (Neg#:
080421d)


ST. LOUIS, April 21, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a
$3.8 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
contract for Phase 1 of the Vulture air vehicle program, an effort
to create a new category of ultra-long-endurance aircraft.

DARPA's Vulture program calls for developing technologies and
ultimately a vehicle that can deliver and maintain an airborne
payload on station for an uninterrupted period of more than five
years using a fixed-wing aircraft. Boeing is teaming with United
Kingdom-based QinetiQ Ltd. for the program.

The yearlong Phase 1 covers conceptual system definition, and
formal reliability and mission success analysis, concluding with a
System Requirements Review. It also requires conceptual designs
for sub- and full-scale demonstrators.

"Boeing has worked closely with DARPA on a number of innovative
programs in the past and we welcome this important opportunity to
again team with them to define a new air vehicle system with
unprecedented reliability and endurance that significantly extends
current aircraft and spacecraft capabilities," said Pat O'Neil,
program manager, Boeing High Altitude Long Endurance Systems. "We
will combine our strengths in highly reliable aerospace systems
development with the unique capabilities of our teammates,
QinetiQ, Versa Power Systems and Draper Laboratory."

QinetiQ is currently flying and testing a solar-powered,
high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial system for the U.K.
Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense under the
Zephyr Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration. QinetiQ's role
will be to leverage the technologies developed and demonstrated in
Zephyr for the DARPA Vulture program.

The Vulture vehicle's goal is to be capable of carrying a
1,000-pound, 5-kilowatt payload and have a 99 percent probability
of maintaining its on-station position.

The project is a collaborative effort led by Integrated Defense
Systems (IDS) Advanced Systems, working with Boeing Phantom Works,
Boeing Spectrolab and IDS Space and Intelligence Systems.

Currently the only systems capable of providing multiple years of
coverage over a fixed area are geosynchronous satellites orbiting
22,233 miles above Earth. "Such a 'pseudo-satellite' system, like
Vulture, could provide compelling operational advantages in terms
of persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and
communications," said O'Neil.

Any good links??

Larry Dighera wrote:
Aerovironment gave a high altitude solar powered aircraft a shot. Now
Boeing is going to give it a go.

Boeing Awarded DARPA Contract to Develop Ultra-Long-Endurance
Aircraft Technologies

Vulture is an ultra-long-endurance aircraft that could stay aloft
for several years and serve as a pseudo-satellite system. (Neg#:
080421d)


ST. LOUIS, April 21, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a
$3.8 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
contract for Phase 1 of the Vulture air vehicle program, an effort
to create a new category of ultra-long-endurance aircraft.

DARPA's Vulture program calls for developing technologies and
ultimately a vehicle that can deliver and maintain an airborne
payload on station for an uninterrupted period of more than five
years using a fixed-wing aircraft. Boeing is teaming with United
Kingdom-based QinetiQ Ltd. for the program.

The yearlong Phase 1 covers conceptual system definition, and
formal reliability and mission success analysis, concluding with a
System Requirements Review. It also requires conceptual designs
for sub- and full-scale demonstrators.

"Boeing has worked closely with DARPA on a number of innovative
programs in the past and we welcome this important opportunity to
again team with them to define a new air vehicle system with
unprecedented reliability and endurance that significantly extends
current aircraft and spacecraft capabilities," said Pat O'Neil,
program manager, Boeing High Altitude Long Endurance Systems. "We
will combine our strengths in highly reliable aerospace systems
development with the unique capabilities of our teammates,
QinetiQ, Versa Power Systems and Draper Laboratory."

QinetiQ is currently flying and testing a solar-powered,
high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial system for the U.K.
Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense under the
Zephyr Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration. QinetiQ's role
will be to leverage the technologies developed and demonstrated in
Zephyr for the DARPA Vulture program.

The Vulture vehicle's goal is to be capable of carrying a
1,000-pound, 5-kilowatt payload and have a 99 percent probability
of maintaining its on-station position.

The project is a collaborative effort led by Integrated Defense
Systems (IDS) Advanced Systems, working with Boeing Phantom Works,
Boeing Spectrolab and IDS Space and Intelligence Systems.

Currently the only systems capable of providing multiple years of
coverage over a fixed area are geosynchronous satellites orbiting
22,233 miles above Earth. "Such a 'pseudo-satellite' system, like
Vulture, could provide compelling operational advantages in terms
of persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and
communications," said O'Neil.

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:34:01 -0400, AugerIn
wrote in :

Any good links??

If you learn anything interesting, please post it.


http://www.advanced-composites.com/n...ve/zephyr-uav/
With weight restrictions being a critical element in the design of
Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), QinetiQ's solar and battery powered
Zephyr UAV, which was designed with structural and manufacturing input
from B3 Technologies Ltd., utilised ACG's flexible project approach
and received appropriate application specific materials manufactured
to their own exacting specifications. Ultra-light glass skins were
combined with the ultra-high modulus carbon fibre to achieve stringent
structural and weight requirements. With significant previous
experience in the application of carbon composites to the manufacture
of UAVs, ACG's pre-impregnated composite materials (prepregs) were
expertly applied by B3 Technologies to the manufacture of structural
elements and other components, taking QinetiQ's lightweight (sub-30kg
[66lb]) 12metre wing span Zephyr to a platform record height and
duration during its most recent flight trials.

Founded by John Barnard, long recognised as one of the world's most
influential racing car designers, with decades of top level motor
racing experience, B3 Technologies specialises in creating the finest
components for high performance applications and embraces an immense
understanding of the capabilities and applications of advanced
composites materials. That's exactly why QinetiQ turned to B3
Technologies and made them a subcontractor for the development of
their Zephyr UAV.

Previous developments saw earlier models of the Zephyr reach a
significant height. Advances in the development of the latest variant
culminated in a flight time of 18 hours and an altitude of 36,000ft,
with a target altitude of 50,000ft well within its reach. Solar power
was used for the ascent, reverting to batteries during dusk, which
provided a further 7 hours thereafter, emphatically proving the
concept. The combination of solar panels on the upper wing surface and
rechargeable batteries is expected to allow Zephyr to be flown for
months at a time.

The application of ACG's carbon composites for the manufacture of
single piece 'D' section wing spars resulted in lighter and
structurally superior components, which contributed to an overall
weight reduction. One of many different parts B3 Technologies produced
for the UAV, and perhaps the most impressive, is the propeller. Being
extraordinarily light and almost 1 metre long, it comes out of the
mould almost perfectly balanced; such is the accuracy of B3
Technologies manufacturing method applied to ACG's prepreg materials.
QinetiQ foresees a wide range of civil, defence and security
applications for Zephyr, including surveillance, remote sensing,
communications and atmospheric sensing. The aircraft has recently been
selected as the platform for the Belgian Mercator HALE UAV system, a
remote sensing demonstrator that will be used for mapping.

http://cc.msnscache.com/cache.aspx?q...a8a&FORM=CVRE9
http://www.boeing.com/ids/news/2008/q2/080421d_nr.html
http://www.afcea.org/signal/articles...wer.asp?a=1441
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/...eleaseid=11647
Zephyr — Joint, real-time, battlefield persistent surveillance and
communications via an extended-duration, solar-powered, unmanned
aerial vehicle
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: USCENTCOM and USEUCOM
Transition Service/Agency: TBD
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C
http://www.acq.osd.mil/jctd/descript.htm
Zephyr
Demonstrates a solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle to meet urgent
operational requirements for USCENTCOM and USEUCOM. Provides low-cost
persistent surveillance and communications relay, flying continuous
operations for periods of months at a time using solar power plus
batteries for continual day/night operations. Sensors enable ground
radio communications links over hundreds of square miles and
surveillance of logistics routes and ground threats. Hand-launched UAV
requires no formal infrastructure and little manpower to operate and
provides cross-theatre benefits to all U.S. Forces.
http://www.luchtzak.be/news/boeing/