AEROINNOVATIONS
UAV From
the UAE
Adcom’s tandem-wing United 40
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AEROINNOVATIONS highlights developments that have potential to impact the future of aviation. EAA does not necessarily endorse the ideas, products, services, or views stated.
THE UNITED 40, named as a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the
United Arab Emirates, was one of the most unique and interesting-looking mock-up UAVs displayed at the Dubai Airshow. It has 262
square feet of tandem-wing lifting area, providing a glide ratio of
43-to- 1; a sleek S-shaped fuselage; and a hybrid powerplant that uses
a 120-hp Rotax and an 80-hp electric motor for the pusher prop in
the tail. Takeoff and landing speed could be as low as 33 mph, and the
vehicle has an expected ceiling of more than 23,000 feet. Maximum
takeoff weight is around 2,205 pounds, and up to 211 gallons of fuel
can be carried.
ULTIMATE
RELAXATION: FLYING
ON A PASSING CLOUD
THE PASSING CLOUD is a concept
airship whose general shape and
propulsion are uniquely in tune
with nature. The huge aircraft
formed of a cluster of extremely
large balloons is held together
with nylon fabric. Because the
Passing Cloud is designed to float
along with the winds surrounding it, the commercial leisure air
travelers won’t notice a breeze,
but will experience a peaceful
floating feeling.
JEDI TRAINING
JAPANESE FLYING
SPHERE
ALTHOUGH THE COOL NEW
JAPANESE FLYING SPHERE does
not yet have the flight capabilities of a Star Wars Jedi
training ball, it’s still an innovative aircraft concept. The
sphere’s gyros and outer frame
help it survive midair collisions, and it can land in pretty
much any orientation. The
16-inch-diameter aircraft can
do stationary hovers and
zooms along at 37 mph.
QU8K AMATEUR
ROCKET REACHES
121,000 FEET
DEREK DEVILLE’S QU8K homebuilt
rocket took only 92 seconds to zip
121,000 feet above the Black Rock
Desert in Nevada, reaching a
maximum speed of more than
2,000 mph. The 8-inch-diameter
by 14-inch-long speed demon was
launched in hopes of winning
Armadillo Aerospace’s 100kft
Micro Prize challenge. Two video
cameras, two timers, four GPSes,
an accelerometer, and a cosmic
ray detector were included in
Qu8k’s instrumentation package.
GLIDER LAUNCHED
BY GO-GO PEUGEOT
THE INNOVATION DEMONSTRATED
BY THE LAK- 17 glider crew is a
low-tech, low-cost launch of
the glider by towing it with a
small Peugeot car that has a
105-hp engine. The glider only
needs a 2,460-foot runway and
394 feet of Dyneema towrope
for an effective takeoff. The
FES (front electric sustainer)
assist power is turned on after
releasing the towrope, allowing
the glider to climb up and look
for thermals.
