RnR Products Unique UAV Airframe Technologies Produced Unmanned Airplane That Completes First Autonomous Flight Across the Atlantic.MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1998--Milpitas, Calif.-based RnR Products develops unique airframe technologies which assisted Insitu Group's and U of Washington in setting World Record. Utilizing RnR's unique composite hollow core molded technologies, the Insitu Group, the University of Washington and three years of R&D effort culminated with the Aerosonde entry into the history books as the first unmanned aircraft Unmanned Aircraft (UA) is a term used in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) definition of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). UA refers to the aircraft portion of the system required to operate it, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. as well as the smallest aircraft to cross the Atlantic. The Aerosonde robotic aircraft airframe manufactured by RnR Products, a Small composite prototype company based in Milpitas, Ca. completed the first unmanned crossing of the Atlantic establishing World records for Autonomous flight over water. The history-making Aerosonde, nicknamed "Laima," landed smoothly on a field in the Outer Hebrides Outer Hebrides, Scotland: see Hebrides, the. , Scotland, after a 26 hour non-stop flight A non-stop flight in the aviation industry refers to any flight which does not involve any intermediate stops. Many laymen mistakenly assume that a "direct flight" is similar to a "non-stop flight". from Bell Island Newfoundland, Canada, on Friday, August 21, 1998. The aircraft airframe built by RnR Products, Milpitas,Ca. has a 9 ft wingspan, powered by a tiny 20 cc engine, autonomously guided itself across the 3200 km North Atlantic while using only 2 gallons of fuel. The North Atlantic crossing mission was a joint venture of the Insitsu Group, Bingen, Wa. and the Department of Aeronautics aeronautics: see aerodynamics; airplane; aviation. and Astronautics astronautics: see space science. Astronautics Flash Gordon space-traveling hero. [Am. Comics and Cin.: Halliwell] From the Earth to the Moon , University of Washington, Seattle, Wa. Partial sponsorship of the mission was provided by U.S. Office of Naval Research The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), headquartered in Arlington, Virginia (Ballston), is the office within the U.S. Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S. , The Boeing Co. and L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LLL) is a company that supplies command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C3ISR) systems and , Conic Division. "RnR's team, the airframe manufacturing company for the Aerosonde was very proud to be a member of Dr. Tad (Telephone Answering Device) An answering machine. McGeer's Insitu Group," states Rich Spicer one of the founders of RnR Products. "This transatlantic milestone, from Newfoundland-to-Scotland is the first of a new generation of low cost, mission specific, commercially available UAV's that are able to make long distance ocean crossings," states Rich Tiltman, founder. As stated by the Insitsu group: The objective of the flight was very practical. The Aerosonde was able to demonstrate that low cost autonomous aircraft will be able to regularly cross vast oceans for use in such applications as economical wide-scale weather reconnaissance which could potentially improve forecasting worldwide. RnR Products Inc. designs and manufactures composite aircraft for UAV UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle UAV Unmanned Airborne Vehicle UAV Uninhabited Air Vehicle UAV Urban Assault Vehicle UAV Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle (less common) , Aerospace and commercial uses with distribution worldwide. For additional information, reference press releases dated August 21, 1998: University of Washington Office of News and Information Greg Orwig, Engineering News Writer Phone (206) 543-2580, fax (206) 685-0658 e-mail gorwig@u.washington.edu Environmental Systems and Services, Melbourne, Australia http://www.bom.gov.au/bmrc/meso/New/aerohome.htm Phone 61-3-9864-5300 fax 61-3-9822-8028
CONTACT: RnR Products
Rick Schrameck, 408/531-1540 or 946-4751
e-mail rickqt@pacbell.net
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