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NASA to Test New Planes

Michael Allen, NASA aerospace engineer, launched a motorized model sailplane weighing 15 pounds over the Southern California desert. The model utilizes thermals, otherwise known as plumes of rising air. The sailplane flew several times without human intervention during a series of test flights at NASA`s Dryden Flight Research Center in California.

The tests confirm Allen`s hypothesis that using thermal lift could greatly extend the range and flight endurance of small unmanned air vehicles.
Thermal lift increases vehicle endurance and saves on fuel. This is significant, as small vehicle flight duration is often restricted by limited fuel capacity.

It is NASA`s hope that small, portable, long-endurance vehicles will fulfill a number of observation roles including forest fire monitoring, traffic control, search and rescue.