UAV round-upAurora Flight Sciences to test new Goldeneye 80 UAV
Federal government hopes for success in effort to encourage UAVs to run on standard diesel fuel; procurement efficiency at issue; Goldeneye 80 goes up against Honeywell UAV for DARPA funding, and both move forward into Phase 3 testing; winning UAV will support small units on tactical missions
“Goldeneye, I found his weakness, Goldeneye, he’ll do what I please.” Such is the unofficial theme song of Aurora Flight Sciences’ (AFS) upcoming test of its Goldeneye 80 ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Manassas, Virginia-based company took the UAV on a test flight in early November, which resulted in “a brief hover in which the aircraft popped up and then came back down.” According to AFS, the flight was the first for a ducted-fan UAV powered by a heavy-fuel engine. If so, this would be a major step forward in the military’s effort to convince UAV makers to use standard diesel fuels — thereby contributing to procurement efficiency.
The GoldenEye 80 is being developed for the DARPA Organic Air Vehicle (OAV) II program, intended to assist the development of ducted-fan UAVs for possible inclusion in the U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program as a Class II UAV (to support small units on tactical missions). Honeywell is developing a rival system, and DARPA this summer chose to postpone an expected downselect and has funded both teams to proceed into Phase III of the effort — set to last through February 2009, when the technology will transition to the Army.
-read more in this company news release
