RECORD-SETTING FLIGHT PLANNED FOR HELIOS THIS SUMMER.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - Having achieved an 18-hour flight that reached an altitude of 76,200 feet, researchers from NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. and Monrovia-based Aerovironment Inc. are preparing for a record-setting flight later this summer with the solar-powered Helios airplane. Researchers reported a successful checkout flight Saturday, then the Helios flew to 76,200 feet over the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility Located in the State of Hawaii on the western shores of Kauai, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) at Barking Sands (IATA: BKH, ICAO: PHBK) is the world's largest instrumented, multi-dimensional testing and training missile range. off Kauai, Hawaii. The 18-hour flight set an unofficial endurance mark for solar-powered aircraft, beating the previous mark by two hours, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), civilian agency of the U.S. federal government with the mission of conducting research and developing operational programs in the areas of space exploration, artificial satellites (see satellite, artificial), said. The Helios team plans to fly the airplane above 100,000 feet, setting a record for a propeller-driven airplane. The previous mark of 80,000 feet was set in August 1998 by another Aerovironment Inc. aircraft, Pathfinder. No date has been set for the altitude record attempt. The earliest such an attempt could be made is mid-August. During Saturday's flight, Helios performed turns at a rate of 2 degrees per second with an aim of staying within a 2,000-foot radius. Such a turn would be required of a high-altitude, long-duration aircraft being used as a telecommunications link Uplink For other uses, see Uplink (computer game) and . An uplink (UL or U/L) is the portion of a communications link used for the transmission of signals from an Earth terminal to a satellite or to an airborne platform. An uplink is the inverse of a downlink. or in making science missions requiring long looks at a particular location. The project has two objectives: to reach 100,000 feet and to demonstrate nonstop flying for at least four days above 50,000 feet. Reaching 100,000 feet would shatter shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. the existing altitude record for a propeller-driven airplane by more than 20,000 feet. The long-duration flight is scheduled for 2003. The flight testing is conducted under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology program, which is developing technologies for high-altitude aircraft that can fly for days at a time. Such aircraft could be used to study the Earth, the atmosphere, and natural and man-made climatic changes. The 12-foot-long Helios has a 247-foot wingspan and a cruising speed cruising speed n → velocidad f de crucero cruising speed n → vitesse f de croisière cruising speed cruise n of 19 to 25 mph. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Helios, a unique aircraft that is little more than a giant flying wing, was successful in its Saturday test off Hawaii, and NASA officials are planning a higher-flying, lengthier flight for later this summer, as well as further testing in 2003. Nick Galante/Pacific Missile Range Facility |
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