NASA's Langley Research Center is now a vertical flight heritage site. The center was given the honor on May 8 for its contributions that played a role in the advancement of vertical flight aircraft including the helicopter.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden received the award given by the American Helicopter Society International, the only international society in the world for scientists, engineers and those who work on vertical flight technology.
"It's because of my love for rotary wing aircraft, for vertical flight, that I'm really proud to be here today," Bolden said. "I don't like catchy phrases ... but I'm kind of chipper for choppers."
The society gave NASA a plaque that stated the research made by the center made significant contributions to understanding principles of flight. The U.S. space agency said that this plaque will be displayed prominently at Langley albeit the exact site is yet to be determined.
Engineers from the center has just also completed the test flight of Greased Lightning, or GL-10, an aircraft powered by battery and comes equipped with 10 engines that can take off in a similar manner as a helicopter and efficiently fly like an aircraft. The agency wants to develop GL-10 into a personal air vehicle.
Aerospace engineer Bill Fredericks, from NASA Langley Research Center, said that in a series of flight tests, the remotely piloted prototype was able to transition from vertical to forward "wing-borne" flight. The team behind the aircraft said that the vehicle was first considered as a potential unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
"During the flight tests we successfully transitioned from hover to wing-borne flight like a conventional airplane then back to hover again. So far we have done this on five flights," Fredericks said.
Fredericks said that there are a number of applications that the concept can be useful for such as in the delivery of small packages. It can also be used for vertical take-off and landing, mapping and surveillance in agriculture. He added that a scaled up version of the prototype currently being tested could be a personal air vehicle that can fit up to four people.
Besides the versatility of GL-10 in taking off and landing, it is also marked by its lack of noise. Fredericks said that the prototype is quieter compared with a neighbor who mows the lawn with a gas-powered motor.
Fredericks said that their team is now working on a second goal, which is to demonstrate that GL-10 is four times more aerodynamically efficient in cruise compared with a helicopter.
