Lockheed Martin's Morphing UAV
17 August 2006 15:59
Challenge
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company's Morphing UAV is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Morphing Aircraft Structures (MAS) program, to which Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® is a contractor. The MAS program will develop ground-breaking technologies to radically change the shape of an aircraft's wings in flight in order to rapidly accommodate a new mission. For example, by expanding and contracting wing structures in flight, a single aircraft can perform both loitering surveillance and reconnaissance missions and high-speed attack missions. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works brought in Athena to provide flight controls and navigation to this unprecedented aircraft.
Solution
Athena will integrate the GuideStarTM 111m, an advanced, miniaturized system specifically designed for small, high-performance UAV applications, into the Morphing aircraft. The GS-111m integrates navigation, control and vehicle management in one unit which is about the same size as a cigarette pack.
Results
The first flight of the Morphing UAV is scheduled for Fall of 2006.
For more information on this company:
Athena - Controls and Navigation Systems for Unmanned Platforms
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