Aircraft

By Rob Coppinger in London

The US Air Force Test Center has given permission for flight tests of Sanswire Networks' Sanswire 2 high-altitude airship technology demonstrator. Florida-based Sanswire is developing an airship called the Stratellite that would act as a communications relay while operating at 55,000-65,000ft (16,800-19,800m).

At that altitude the airship would provide broadband communications for an area of roughly 777,000km² (300,000 miles² ). The Stratellite would use electric motors powered by solar cells to station keep.

Sanswire began seeking test-flight approval in February. Now tethered tests will take place at Edwards AFB in California followed by the test flights during the fourth quarter. "These [flight] tests will begin after the replacement carbon composite structure is received from our suppliers," says Sanswire's president Bob Jones. The trials were delayed from the third quarter due to quality problems with suppliers' carbonfibre structures.

NASA's Dryden Flight Test Center, which is based at Edwards AFB, will provide meteorological services.

■ In October the hydrogen-fuelled Aerovironment Global Observer unmanned air vehicle will fly over Arizona to test broadband electronics developed by the €6 million ($7.6 million) European Union Sixth Framework Capanina project.

This project, which aims to develop a high-altitude airship capable of delivering broadband communications, also ends in October.