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evaluation of differential motor power as a means of pitch control. During normal cruise the outer wing panels of Helios were arched upward and give the aircraft the shape of a shallow crescent when viewed from the front or rear. This configuration placed the motors on the outer wing panels higher than the motors on the center panels. Speeding up the outer-panel motors caused the aircraft to pitch down and begin a descent. Conversely, applying additional power to the motors in the center panels caused Helios to pitch up and begin climbing.
384:. The over-speed condition was exacerbated when the pilot turned off the airspeed hold loop instead of executing the correct emergency procedure and increasing the airspeed hold loop gain. The aircraft’s design airspeed was subsequently exceeded and the resulting high dynamic pressures caused the wing leading edge secondary structure on the outer wing panels to fail and the solar cells and skin on the upper surface of the wing to rip off. The aircraft impacted the ocean within the confines of the
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in two different ways. The first, designated HP01, focused on achieving the altitude goals and powered the aircraft with batteries and solar cells. The second configuration, HP03, optimized the aircraft for endurance, and used a combination of solar cells, storage batteries and a modified commercial hydrogen–air fuel cell system for power at night. In this configuration, the number of motors was reduced from 14 to ten.
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On August 13, 2001, the Helios
Prototype piloted remotely by Greg Kendall reached an altitude of 96,863 feet (29,524 m), a world record for sustained horizontal flight by a winged aircraft. The altitude reached was more than 11,000 feet (3,400 m) — or more than 2 miles (3.2 km) — above
282:
The all-wing aircraft was assembled in six sections, each about 41 feet (12 m) long. An underwing pod was attached at each panel joint to carry the landing gear, the battery power system, flight control computers, and data instrumentation. The five aerodynamically shaped pods were made mostly of
197:
The ERAST program had two goals when developing the Helios
Prototype: 1) sustained flight at altitudes near 100,000 feet (30,000 m) and 2) endurance of at least 24 hours, including at least 14 of those hours above 50,000 feet (15,000 m). To this end, the Helios Prototype could be configured
193:
was modified into the Helios
Prototype configuration by adding a sixth 41 feet (12 m) wing section and a fifth landing gear and systems pod, becoming the fourth configuration in the series of solar-powered flying wing demonstrator aircraft developed by AeroVironment under the ERAST project. The
297:
linked to the aircraft's flight control computer. To turn the aircraft in flight, yaw control was applied using differential power on the motors — speeding up the motors on one outer wing panel while slowing down motors on the other outer panel. A major test during the initial flight series was the
370:
zones off the island's coast. After a delayed take off, due to the failure of the winds to shift as predicted, Helios spent more time than expected flying through a zone of low-level turbulence on the lee side of Kauai, because it was climbing more slowly than normal, since it had to contend with
201:
Using the traditional incremental or stairstep approach to flight testing, the Helios
Prototype was first flown in a series of battery-powered development flights in late 1999 to validate the longer wing's performance and the aircraft's handling qualities. Instrumentation that was used for the
398:"Configuration changes to the aircraft, driven by programmatic and technological constraints, altered the aircraft from a spanloader to a highly point-loaded mass distribution on the same structure significantly reducing design robustness and margins of safety."
705:
365:
On the morning of the accident, weather forecasts indicated that conditions were inside the acceptable envelope, although during the preflight go/no-go review, the weather forecaster gave it a "very marginal GO." One of the primary concerns was a pair of
706:
246:, and a thin, transparent plastic skin. The main tubular wing spar was made of carbon fiber. The spar, which was thicker on the top and bottom to absorb the constant bending motions that occur during flight, was also wrapped with
374:
As the aircraft climbed through 2,800 feet (850 m) 30 minutes into the flight, according to the subsequent mishap investigation report, "the aircraft encountered turbulence and morphed into an unexpected, persistent, high
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the same materials as the wing itself, with the exception of the transparent wing covering. Two wheels on each pod made up the fixed landing gear—rugged mountain bike wheels on the rear and smaller scooter wheels on the front.
708:
1395:
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The Helios
Prototype shared the same 8-foot (2.4 m) wing chord (distance from leading to trailing edge) as its Pathfinder and Centurion predecessors. The 247-foot (75 m) wingspan gave the Helios Prototype an
395:"Lack of adequate analysis methods led to an inaccurate risk assessment of the effects of configuration changes leading to an inappropriate decision to fly an aircraft configuration highly sensitive to disturbances."
379:
configuration. As a result of the persistent high dihedral, the aircraft became unstable in a very divergent pitch mode in which the airspeed excursions from the nominal flight speed about doubled every cycle of the
278:
during the slow landings and turns. The wing area was 1,976 sq ft (183.6 m)., which gave the craft a maximum wing loading of only 0.81 lb./sq. ft. when flying at a gross weight of 1,600 lb.
234:(195 or 224 feet (59 or 68 m), depending on the model), the two largest operational aircraft built in the United States. The electrically powered Helios was constructed mostly of composite materials such as
250:
and Kevlar for additional strength. The wing ribs were also made of epoxy and carbon fiber. Shaped
Styrofoam was used for the wing's leading edge and a durable clear plastic film covered the entire wing.
194:
larger wing on the Helios
Prototype accommodated more solar arrays to provide adequate power for the sun-powered development flights that followed. The aircraft's maiden flight was on September 8, 1999.
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test range and was destroyed. Most of the vehicle structure was recovered except the hydrogen–air fuel cell pod and two of the ten motors, which sank into the ocean."
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the previous altitude record for sustained flight by a winged aircraft. In addition, the aircraft spent more than 40 minutes above 96,000 feet (29,000 m).
2718:
934:"Photovoltaic Finesse: Better Solar Cells—with Wires Where the Sun Don't Shine", an article by Daniel Cho on page thirty-three of the September, 2003 issue of
226:
The Helios
Prototype is an ultra-lightweight flying wing aircraft with a wingspan of 247 feet (75 m), longer than the wingspans of the U.S. Air Force
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solar array composed of more than 62,000 solar cells installed on the upper wing surface. These cells featured a rear-contact cell design that placed
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of almost 31 to 1. The wing thickness was the same from tip to tip, 11.5 inches (29 cm) or 12 percent of the chord, and it had no taper or
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follow-on solar-powered altitude and endurance flights was also checked out and calibrated during the initial low-altitude flights at
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From 2000 to 2001, the HP01 received a number of upgrades, including new avionics, high-altitude environmental control systems and
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149:(ERAST) program. They were built to develop the technologies that would allow long-term, high-altitude aircraft to serve as
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during a remotely piloted systems checkout flight in preparation for an endurance test scheduled for the following month.
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Helios
Prototype flying wing moments after takeoff, beginning its first test flight on solar power from the U.S. Navy's
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2015:
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973:"3G Tested at 65,000 feet (20,000 m) in the stratosphere" 3G news release July 23, 2002
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that provided pitch control. Spanning the entire wing, they were operated by tiny
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was the fourth and final aircraft developed as part of an evolutionary series of
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The investigation report identified a two-part root cause of the accident:
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on the underside of the cells, so as not to obstruct the cells' exposure to
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This article contains material that originally came from the web article
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1903:
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758:
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268:
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231:
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The only flight control surfaces used on the Helios
Prototype were 72
185:
shows a cross section of the AeroVironment/Helios Prototype wing spar.
173:
Pathfinder Plus (left) and Helios Prototype (right) on the Dryden ramp
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1977:
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36:
838:
Helios Prototype fact sheet – old edition; archived at archive.org
354:
On June 26, 2003, the Helios Prototype broke up and fell into the
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Schematic of Helios HP03 Hydrogen-Air Fuel Cell Configuration
359:
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to give the aircraft more lateral stability. A slight upward
247:
1293:
1162:
325:
Helios with very high wing dihedral just before breaking up
306:
371:
cloud shadows and the resultant reduction in solar power.
358:
about ten miles (16 km) west of the Hawaiian Island
873:. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from
1262:
896:"Helios Prototype Solar Aircraft Lost In Flight Mishap"
858:
Investigation of the Helios Prototype Aircraft Mishap
147:
Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology
333:
Helios disintegrates as it falls towards the Pacific
914:
NASA Pathfinder fact sheet, archived at archive.org
781:by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.
411:Solar Aircraft Evolution through the ERAST Program
1012:NASA-AeroVironment contract for followon projects
925:NASA Centurion Fact Sheet archived at archive.org
907:
2695:
918:
271:at the tips of the trailing edge helped prevent
230:military transport (222 feet (68 m) or the
950:NASA's Helios Prototype Solar-Powered Aircraft
853:
851:
849:
847:
845:
2719:Unmanned aerial vehicles of the United States
1278:
1080:
794:National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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816:
814:
812:
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263:. The outer panels had a built-in 10-degree
842:
827:NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Helios Prototype
1657:Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
1285:
1271:
1094:
1087:
1073:
981:article on Pathfinder Plus altitude record
904:, July 1, 2003, accessed September 8, 2003
860:– Volume 1, T.E. Noll et al., January 2004
2724:1990s United States experimental aircraft
2551:Hubble Space Telescope anniversary images
801:
702:
414:
406:
336:
328:
320:
213:
176:
168:
2636:NASA International Space Apps Challenge
712:The footage shows the Helios in the air
632:electric, 2 hp (1.5 kW) each
209:
14:
2696:
1424:Administrator and Deputy Administrator
2214:Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
1266:
1068:
2676:
145:developed the vehicles under NASA's
718:History of unmanned aerial vehicles
164:
24:
1330:National Aeronautics and Space Act
871:"Aviation and Space World Records"
792:from websites or documents of the
25:
2755:
2734:Fourteen-engined tractor aircraft
2284:Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
1838:Commercial Lunar Payload Services
999:History of solar powered UAVs at
943:
402:
341:Wreckage of Helios in the Pacific
2675:
2664:
2663:
2579:Apollo 15 postal covers incident
2337:Space Flight Operations Facility
1523:Operations and Checkout Building
788: This article incorporates
783:
761:(First flight 11 September 2019)
222:on Kauai, Hawaii, July 14, 2001.
114:NASA Pathfinder, Pathfinder Plus
35:
1798:Lunar Precursor Robotic Program
767:(First flight 17 February 2020)
741:(First flight 10 November 1998)
986:Telecom relay achievements at
889:
863:
386:Pacific Missile Range Facility
220:Pacific Missile Range Facility
13:
1:
1017:Helios record attempt article
771:
2744:Aircraft first flown in 1999
2729:Ten-engined tractor aircraft
2616:Space program on U.S. stamps
2541:Gemini and Apollo medallions
2491:Solar System Family Portrait
2267:Joint Polar Satellite System
2136:Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
1390:Vision for Space Exploration
1360:Space Exploration Initiative
960:Helios model by DesignsbyALX
7:
2611:U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
2568:We choose to go to the Moon
2531:Apollo 11 goodwill messages
2089:International Space Station
2069:Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
1808:Great Observatories program
1652:International Space Station
1630:Roscosmos State Corporation
1547:Science Mission Directorate
1493:Manned Space Flight Network
754:(First flight 28 June 2016)
698:
44:Helios Prototype in flight
10:
2760:
2428:NASA cameras on spacecraft
2239:James Webb Space Telescope
2151:Solar Dynamics Observatory
1372:U.S. National Space Policy
1153:MacCready Solar Challenger
779:"Unmanned Aerial Vehicles"
316:
2659:
2559:
2436:
2351:
2296:
2259:
2058:
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1503:Vehicle Assembly Building
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1300:
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1137:
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1103:
735:(First flew in June 1983)
631:
505:
488:
471:
43:
34:
29:
2574:Apollo 8 Genesis reading
2498:The Day the Earth Smiled
1833:Solar Terrestrial Probes
1292:
1021:NASA image collections:
692:Li batteries, fuel cell
349:
139:unmanned aerial vehicles
2631:Other primates in space
2343:Deep Space Atomic Clock
2163:Mars Science Laboratory
1951:Spitzer Space Telescope
1540:Lunar Sample Laboratory
1483:Launch Services Program
1007:Pathfinder Plus at NASM
757:SoftBank/AeroVironment
181:AeroVironment Chairman
53:Unmanned aerial vehicle
2714:Solar-powered aircraft
2704:AeroVironment aircraft
2646:National Astronaut Day
2589:The Astronaut Monument
2411:Space Shuttle missions
2111:Mars Exploration Rover
2094:Hubble Space Telescope
2003:Kepler space telescope
1803:Earth Observing System
1777:Mars Exploration Rover
1488:Mercury Control Center
790:public domain material
748:(First flight in 2008)
728:Regenerative fuel cell
713:
420:
412:
342:
334:
326:
223:
186:
174:
151:atmospheric satellites
2594:Lunar sample displays
2584:Space Mirror Memorial
2526:Voyager Golden Record
2418:United States rockets
1610: (with the
1518:Launch Control Center
988:Airport International
711:
657:Solar pwr output (kW)
541:16.5–23.5 (30.6–43.5)
418:
410:
340:
332:
324:
217:
180:
172:
1612:Soviet space program
1530:Johnson Space Center
1498:Kennedy Space Center
1461:spinoff technologies
1187:NASA Pathfinder Plus
1001:The Future of Things
765:BAE Systems PHASA-35
210:Aircraft description
2621:Apollo 17 Moon mice
2477:Pillars of Creation
2384:Space Shuttle crews
1862:(human and robotic)
1856:Individual featured
1439:Ranks and positions
937:Scientific American
589:Max. weight lb (kg)
549:Max altitude ft (m)
531:Airspeed kts (km/h)
425:
143:AeroVironment, Inc.
2423:NASA cancellations
2318:Deep Space Network
2308:Near Earth Network
1793:Living With a Star
1767:Project Prometheus
1747:Planetary Observer
1113:Gossamer Albatross
1047:2013-04-15 at the
1035:2013-02-17 at the
965:2011-05-19 at the
877:on 16 October 2013
714:
677:Supplemental power
423:
421:
413:
343:
335:
327:
238:, graphite epoxy,
224:
187:
175:
92:NASA ERAST Program
88:Primary user
83:Destroyed in 2003
75:September 8, 1999
2691:
2690:
2604:stolen or missing
2401:uncrewed missions
2379:Apollo astronauts
2374:Gemini astronauts
2292:
2291:
2076:2001 Mars Odyssey
1851:
1850:
1727:Mars Surveyor '98
1685:
1684:
1628: (with
1561:Human spaceflight
1555:
1554:
1513:Launch Complex 48
1508:Launch Complex 39
1260:
1259:
1195:
1194:
994:Space.com article
723:Electric aircraft
709:
696:
695:
123:
122:
30:Helios Prototype
16:(Redirected from
2751:
2679:
2678:
2667:
2666:
2505:Fallen Astronaut
2146:Van Allen Probes
1866:
1865:
1772:Mars Exploration
1697:
1696:
1568:
1567:
1336:Space Task Group
1308:
1307:
1287:
1280:
1273:
1264:
1263:
1227:RQ-14 Dragon Eye
1217:Nano Hummingbird
1147:Gossamer Penguin
1135:
1134:
1089:
1082:
1075:
1066:
1065:
1054:Helios Prototype
927:
922:
916:
911:
905:
893:
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861:
855:
840:
835:
829:
824:
787:
786:
710:
618:100–600 (45–270)
569:Empty Wt lb (kg)
564:65,000 (19,812)
426:
422:
165:Helios Prototype
137:-system-powered
127:Helios Prototype
110:
100:
56:Type of aircraft
39:
27:
26:
21:
18:Helios Prototype
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2687:
2655:
2555:
2546:Mission patches
2521:Pioneer plaques
2484:Mystic Mountain
2461:Family Portrait
2454:The Blue Marble
2438:
2432:
2406:Apollo missions
2347:
2299:
2288:
2255:
2060:
2054:
1891:Mercury-Atlas 6
1861:
1857:
1847:
1781:
1717:Mariner Mark II
1681:
1662:Commercial Crew
1640:
1563:
1551:
1535:Mission Control
1434:Astronaut Corps
1429:Chief Scientist
1407:
1312:
1296:
1291:
1261:
1256:
1212:Global Observer
1207:FQM-151 Pointer
1191:
1182:NASA Pathfinder
1157:
1126:
1121:Gossamer Condor
1099:
1093:
1049:Wayback Machine
1037:Wayback Machine
1030:Pathfinder Plus
967:Wayback Machine
955:Helios for kids
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784:
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752:Facebook Aquila
733:NASA Pathfinder
703:
701:
609:Payload lb (kg)
561:96,863 (29,523)
555:80,201 (24,445)
552:71,530 (21,802)
477:Wingspan ft (m)
435:Pathfinder-Plus
424:Specifications
405:
352:
319:
311:solar radiation
212:
167:
155:NASA Pathfinder
108:
98:
57:
23:
22:
15:
12:
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5:
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2641:Astronauts Day
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2300:and navigation
2298:Communications
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2278:Europa Clipper
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356:Pacific Ocean
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72:First flight
71:
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66:AeroVironment
64:
62:Manufacturer
61:
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42:
38:
33:
28:
19:
2739:Flying wings
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2225:Perseverance
2224:
2186:
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2116:
2099:
2083:New Horizons
2081:
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2008:
1996:
1989:
1976:
1964:
1956:
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1624:
1608:Apollo–Soyuz
1176:
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901:ScienceDaily
899:
891:
879:. Retrieved
875:the original
865:
833:
776:
775:
689:Li batteries
494:Aspect ratio
469:Chord ft (m)
444:Helios HP03
390:
373:
364:
353:
344:
300:
285:
281:
257:aspect ratio
253:
236:carbon fiber
225:
200:
196:
188:
126:
124:
99:Number built
2511:Deep fields
2439:and artwork
2437:NASA images
2009:Opportunity
1478:NASA Social
1304:and history
1247:Switchblade
1222:RQ-11 Raven
1177:NASA Helios
601:2,048 (929)
598:1,900 (862)
581:1,322 (600)
511:Glide ratio
489:247 (75.3)
480:98.4 (29.5)
464:16.5 (5.0)
441:Helios HP01
382:oscillation
295:servomotors
204:NASA Dryden
2698:Categories
2599:Moon rocks
2359:Astronauts
2352:NASA lists
2209:OSIRIS-REx
2043:helicopter
1911:Pioneer 11
1904:Pioneer 10
1707:Hitchhiker
1582:suborbital
1419:Space Race
1232:RQ-20 Puma
1145:MacCready
1119:MacCready
1111:MacCready
1025:Pathfinder
881:14 October
772:References
759:HAPSMobile
615:150 (67,5)
506:30.9 to 1
486:206 (61.8)
483:121 (36.3)
432:Pathfinder
368:wind shear
232:Boeing 747
161:aircraft.
2626:Moon tree
2447:Earthrise
2322:Goldstone
2219:Mars 2020
2188:Voyager 2
2181:Voyager 1
2117:Curiosity
2061:operating
2059:Currently
2041:Ingenuity
1978:MESSENGER
1957:Sojourner
1886:Mercury 3
1876:Apollo 11
1823:Discovery
1813:Explorers
1402:Augustine
1366:Augustine
1042:Centurion
686:batteries
683:batteries
680:batteries
621:726 (329)
595:700 (315)
592:560 (252)
438:Centurion
291:elevators
244:Styrofoam
135:fuel-cell
2670:Category
2332:Canberra
2244:timeline
2232:timeline
2168:timeline
2124:timeline
2021:observed
2016:timeline
1984:Aquarius
1924:timeline
1897:Magellan
1859:missions
1757:Surveyor
1693:programs
1623:Shuttle–
1564:programs
1396:Aldridge
1315:creation
1098:aircraft
1045:Archived
1033:Archived
963:Archived
744:QinetiQ/
699:See also
612:100 (45)
472:8 (2.4)
461:12 (3.6)
458:12 (3.6)
455:12 (3.6)
452:12 (3.6)
377:dihedral
303:SunPower
273:wing tip
265:dihedral
2682:Commons
2560:Related
2369:by year
2364:by name
2141:GOES 15
2131:GOES 14
2048:flights
2034:InSight
1990:Cassini
1918:Galileo
1843:SIMPLEx
1818:Voyager
1786:Current
1742:Pioneer
1712:Mariner
1691:Robotic
1672:Artemis
1645:Current
1588:Mercury
1580: (
1473:NASA TV
1412:General
1311:History
1242:SkyTote
1138:Piloted
629:Engines
517:21 to 1
514:18 to 1
503:26 to 1
500:15 to 1
497:12 to 1
317:Records
80:Status
2327:Madrid
2260:Future
2175:NuSTAR
2106:THEMIS
2028:RHESSI
1965:Spirit
1762:Viking
1752:Ranger
1603:Skylab
1598:Apollo
1593:Gemini
1451:Budget
1404:(2009)
1398:(2004)
1392:(2004)
1386:(2003)
1380:(2002)
1378:CFUSAI
1374:(1996)
1368:(1990)
1362:(1989)
1356:(1987)
1350:(1986)
1348:Rogers
1344:(1986)
1338:(1958)
1332:(1958)
1326:(1915)
1302:Policy
1058:videos
429:
276:stalls
240:Kevlar
133:- and
2272:NISAR
2227:rover
2199:MAVEN
2119:rover
2100:Swift
2011:rover
1972:LADEE
1967:rover
1959:rover
1936:GRAIL
1931:GALEX
1722:MESUR
1667:Orion
1468:NASA+
1444:Chief
1342:Paine
672:18.5
360:Kauai
350:Crash
307:wires
269:twist
261:sweep
248:Nomex
131:solar
49:Role
2251:PACE
2194:WISE
2157:Juno
1997:Dawn
1941:WMAP
1881:COBE
1869:Past
1700:Past
1578:X-15
1571:Past
1384:CAIB
1354:Ride
1324:NACA
1294:NASA
1252:Wasp
1237:T-20
1165:UAVs
1163:NASA
883:2013
663:12.5
189:The
157:and
125:The
116:and
2204:MMS
1625:Mir
660:7.5
652:10
558:n/a
228:C-5
2700::
1056:,
898:,
844:^
803:^
796:.
666:31
649:14
646:14
624:?
584:?
544:?
526:?
313:.
242:,
206:.
141:.
103:1
2570:"
2566:"
2339:)
2320:(
1632:)
1614:)
1584:)
1317:)
1313:(
1286:e
1279:t
1272:v
1088:e
1081:t
1074:v
969:.
885:.
669:?
643:8
640:6
578:?
575:?
572:?
523:?
520:?
20:)
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