January 14, 2005
Honeywell Micro Air Vehicle
Honeywell has announced the testing of its new micro air vehicle (MAV). This is a ducted fan design with vertical takeoff and landing capability. Usually there are issues in transitioning to horizontal flight and endurance with this type of design. This PDF file of its specifications claims an endurance of 40 minutes at 5000 ft. ASL.
Posted by elkaim at January 14, 2005 2:36 PM"The flight tests are demonstrating that this aircraft performs as designed and will provide intelligence on enemy activity without risking the lives of human pilots or ground reconnaissance teams," said Vaughn Fulton, Honeywell Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Manager.
Honeywell is developing the aircraft, called the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of its Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program.
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Called a ducted fan air vehicle, the MAV flies like a helicopter, using a propeller that draws in air through a duct to provide lift. The MAV's propeller is enclosed in the duct and is driven by a gasoline engine.
A heavy fuel engine variant of the MAV will be available in 2006. The MAV is controlled using Honeywell's micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) electronic sensor technology.