NASA anticipates flying a next-generation twin-aisle demonstrator aircraft, in unmanned subscale form, by 2015.
Part of a broader research agenda announced 2 June, the $37 million green aircraft programme seeks proposals from industry by 15 July on concepts that could enable large, twin-aisle passenger aircraft in the 2025 timeframe to produce 50% lower fuel consumption and nitrogen oxide emissions than today's fleet while cutting "nuisance noise footprints around airports" by 80%.
NASA plans to select up to four teams for 12-month studies beginning in fiscal year 2011. Following nine months of work to define preferred systems concepts, the agency says the winning teams will be eligible to submit proposals for a subscale flight demonstrator design, of which one or two will be selected for 17 months of preliminary design work and risk reduction testing.
Along with testing concepts that could meet the agency's environmentally responsible aviation goals, the demonstrator, which will include autonomous and remotely piloted modes, will also support NASA's efforts to help integrate remotely-piloted aircraft into the national air space system.
As such, NASA says testing of the vehicle in the 2015 timeframe may include separation assurance and collision avoidance, remote pilot and vehicle interfaces, environmental hazards detection and "avoidance that could enable routine operation of future unpiloted air vehicles".
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
