Helios Flapped, Then Snapped | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.22.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.16.24

 Airborne-FlightTraining-04.17.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-04.18.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.19.24

Join Us At 0900ET, Friday, 4/10, for the LIVE Morning Brief.
Watch It LIVE at www.airborne-live.net

Thu, Jul 03, 2003

Helios Flapped, Then Snapped

The loss of the world's highest-flying winged vehicle, NASA's Helios, a week ago still has project members wondering.

A helicopter chase ship, we have learned, reported seeing the wings start to oscillate, and that motion grew to a "flap," while the 247-foot wing was at only 3000 feet. Shortly thereafter, the huge, record-setting, yet necessarily flimsy machine gave up its constituent parts and fell into a mile-deep section of the Pacific.

Most of the machine, including hydrogen tanks (the testing of alternate-power fuel cells was underway), has been recovered. The most-expensive components -- $10 million or so of solar cells -- are either at the ocean bottom, or ruined: salt water makes them useless.

FMI: www.dfrc.nasa.gov

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.25.24): Airport Rotating Beacon

Airport Rotating Beacon A visual NAVAID operated at many airports. At civil airports, alternating white and green flashes indicate the location of the airport. At military airports>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.25.24)

Aero Linx: Fly for the Culture Fly For the Culture, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves young people interested in pursuing professions in the aviation industry>[...]

Klyde Morris (04.22.24)

Klyde Is Having Some Issues Comprehending The Fed's Priorities FMI: www.klydemorris.com>[...]

Airborne 04.24.24: INTEGRAL E, Elixir USA, M700 RVSM

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>[...]

Airborne 04.22.24: Rotor X Worsens, Airport Fees 4 FNB?, USMC Drone Pilot

Also: EP Systems' Battery, Boeing SAF, Repeat TBM 960 Order, Japan Coast Guard H225 Buy Despite nearly 100 complaints totaling millions of dollars of potential fraud, combined with>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne 04.26.24: Beta Alia 250, SPEEA v Boeing, Anti-Av Climate Attacks

Airborne-Flight Training 04.25.24: eDA40 Progress, LIFT-Tuskegee, U of OK

Airborne 04.24.24: INTEGRAL E, Elixir USA, M700 RVSM

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC