Scorpion freewing tilt-body UAV flight video

The Scorpion can take off and land like a helicopter, neutralize turbulence for a smooth-as-glass ride, and vector its thrust with just one moving part. Moreover, it is inherently stable in all its flight modes. We flew early versions starting in 1990. This configuration was co-patented by Burt Rutan and Hugh Schmittle, and first flew sub-scale at Scaled Composites in 1992. Detailed design on this particular version by Burt and Dan Kreigh, also from Scaled. Airfoils custom-designed by John Roncz. The full-scale Scorpion UAVs flew from 1993 to 2000, mostly in Mojave and in College Station, Texas, chez Freewing Aerial Robotics Corp. Instrumented flight tests were in concert with Boeing at their Palmdale facility, by Freewing's engineering VP, Dave Bonorden. Some 500 hours of flight tests were conducted at UMd's Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel, headed by Dr. Jewel Barlow, involving a number of manned and unmanned freewing designs configured by Hugh. Many other engineers and designers contributed over the years to a succession of the company's freewing and freewing tilt-body designs, including Didier Esteyne, who went on to work in France with the new Flying Flea. Our manned free wings were displayed and flown at Sun 'N' Fun and Oshkosh for many years. The Freewing team won many design/technology awards and patents during our 12-year run. And all of this was inspired by the pioneering "controlwing" work of my good friend, George G. Spratt. Our vestigial Website is still up at www.freewing.com.

I am proud to see a number of individuals and student teams in the U.S. and Europe continuing to experiment with the freewing and tilt-body concepts. Very inventive work at Western Michigan University, Linköping University in Sweden, and many others.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• youtube
• mp4
• aviation
• flying
• freewing
• thrust-vector
• Rutan
• Spratt

[allen54a0]

Class,~~ Good Job I like the excellent idea when I was a student, I love the UAV very much.