Aurora Flight Sciences,
Manassas Va: Aurora Flight Sciences' GoldenEye-50 unmanned aerial system (UAS) performed its first high-speed, coordinated banked turns during recent envelope expansion flight. The turns demonstrate the GoldenEye-50's ability to provide the high-speed maneuverability that sets it apart from other unmanned VTOL platforms.
GoldenEye-50's ability to perform dynamic maneuvers during high-speed, wingborne flight further enhances the aircraft's acoustic and visual signatures making the aircraft extremely difficult to detect and track during ingress to and egress from target areas.
The GoldenEye-50 made its first flight in July of 2004 and, after extensive hover tests, made its first autonomous transition to and from horizontal flight in April of 2005. Since April, the rapidly maturing system has completed more than three dozen transition flights and demonstrated its operational capabilities to Army Ranger, Cavalry and Artillery and the forces of a NATO country.
“Over the past year, GoldenEye-50 has demonstrated its capability and utility,” said Aurora President John S. Langford. “Soon, the GoldenEye's unique capabilities will help small units in the Army, Navy and Marines infiltrate denied areas, collect information and take the information high ground.”
The GoldenEye-50 is a unique UAS that is small enough to fit in the back of an unmodified HMMWV. It has greater range than similarly sized VTOL UAS because GoldenEye-50 uses high-speed, wingborne flight to cover more territory than wingless VTOL UAS that must hover toward the target area.
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