NGC, Triumph Aerostructures Validate Structural Strength Of The Airfoil
Northrop Grumman and Triumph Aerostructures – Vought Aircraft Division have successfully demonstrated the structural strength of the U.S. Navy's Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) wing. The companies say this is a key capability that will allow the aircraft to descend from high altitudes to make positive identification of targets of interest during surveillance missions.
A team of engineers found that no failures or unacceptable deformations of the wing occurred when it was subjected to a load at 22 percent above the Navy's requirement. "During surveillance missions using Triton, Navy operators may spot a target of interest and order the aircraft to a lower altitude to make positive identification," said Mike Mackey, Northrop Gumman's Triton UAS program director. "The wing's strength allows the aircraft to safely descend, sometimes through weather patterns, to complete this maneuver."
Northrop Grumman's wing supplier for its portfolio of high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft systems is Triumph Aerostructures, a Vought Aircraft Division. The testing was conducted at their facility in Dallas. Additional steps needed to certify the wing's life span include flight tests at various weights placed within the wing that simulate various fuel loads and a fatigue test of the entire airframe that will begin in 2017.
The MQ-4C Triton will provide long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to Navy commanders as a complement to the manned P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Using a specialized suite of sensors that sweep in a 360-degree field of view, Triton can monitor more than one million square miles of ocean in a single mission.
Runway Centerline Lighting Flush centerline lights spaced at 50-foot intervals beginning 75 feet from the landing threshold and extending to within 75 feet of the opposite end of t>[...]
Aero Linx: Air Force Global Strike Command Air Force Global Strike Command, activated August 7, 2009, is a major command with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, i>[...]
Also: Viasat-uAvionix, UL94 Fuel Investigation, AF Materiel Command, NTSB Safety Alert Norges Luftsportforbund chose Aura Aero's little 2-seater in electric trim for their next gli>[...]
Also: USCG Retires MH-65 Dolphins, Irish Aviation Authority, NATCA Warns FAA, Diamond DA42 AD This summer, history enthusiasts will have a unique opportunity to experience World Wa>[...]
Also: Moya Delivery Drone, USMC Drone Pilot, Inversion RAY Reentry Vehicle, RapidFlight UAVOS has recently achieved a significant milestone in public safety and emergency services >[...]