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Tuesday, 17 October 2006 |
With the first battle scars now evident, we are making good progress towards bringing this radical new craft under control.
With all prototype aircraft, there is a thorough test flight programme, and although land based, this machine is no exception. Making sure all the systems work properly before pushing to new extremes of speed is a priority.
For those not familiar with the concept of 'flutter', it is the uncontrolled oscillation of a foil, due to a mass imbalance, flexural or aerodynamic instability. With a main wing as slender and powerful as this, aerodynamic stability becomes a complicated subject. However, with a repositioned counterweight and some structural 'tweeks' to various parts of the vehicle to alter it's stiffness and bend characteristics, initial tests look good.
The most frustrating part of the game, is that while this essential testing period takes place we are missing some great winds. So great in fact, that the old craft, currently stuck in a box in Nevada, would have broken the record pretty easily here, last week. Even though the new craft should eventually be considerably faster, it would be nice to have the old machine along side it as a fall back, if only we could afford the shipping!
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