NASA Flying wing

[Kanalua]

Got this out of my local Honolulu Newspaper

High wind delays flying wing test until tomorrow
MANA, Kauai >> The flight of the unmanned solar-powered aircraft Helios from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands has been delayed due to a strong jet stream over the islands.
NASA spokesman Pete Jacobs said the flight that had been scheduled for this morning has been postponed until tomorrow.

Helios is a flying wing that measures 8 feet by 247 feet. It was built through a partnership between NASA and AeroVironment Incorporated.

The $15 million unmanned aircraft is controlled on the ground by two pilots using desktop computers. The plane's electric motors are powered by solar cells built into the wing.

NASA hopes the flying-wing technology will lead to an aircraft that can store enough energy during the day to keep it running through the night, thus creating a perpetual flier that can be used in place of satellites for communications or imaging work.
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These things are sweet

 

[SSP]

Saw that thing on Discovery or TLC (not the real one, computer generated video). Those things look sweet, but $15 Million? (must have a lot of those solar cell thingies).

 

[Time2Kill]

15 million is quite cheap isnt it?

wasnt their last plane that just blew up several billion?

 

[Darein]

Wow, sounds cool. That the one that goes really high to study the upper atmosphere?

 

[ViRGE]

15mil is cheap compared to a rocket launch.:Q For every pound of satillite, you need a pound of gold to pay for it.

 

[V]

<< 15mil is cheap compared to a rocket launch.:Q For every pound of satillite, you need a pound of gold to pay for it. >>



I heard $10,000 per pound. How much is an ounce of gold worth today?

 

[Time2Kill]

Last I checked, and if I remember right, one ounce was about 500 ~ 550 dollars