High-Altitude Morphing Aircraft (HAMAC) Flight Demonstrations

HAMAC is an innovative aircraft design that combines solar cells for power, fuel cells for energy storage, a high-altitude prop and electric motor with thrust vector control, and a morphing structural design that can take off conventionally, or be carried to altitude by rocket, aircraft, or balloon. HAMAC will provide an aerodynamically stable, long-endurance, responsive instrument platform that can maintain high altitudes indefinitely. HAMAC can stay above FAA-controlled airspace, 60,000 feet altitude, at any location between -69„a and +69„a latitude at the equinox, and from the summer-hemisphere pole to 35„a latitude in the winter hemisphere at the solstices. With current lithium-sulfur batteries, it could stay above 46,000 feet between -70„a and +70„a latitude at the equinox, and above 36,000 feet from the summer-hemisphere pole to 45„a latitude in the winter hemisphere at the solstices. This program will build and flight test scale model vehicles that will demonstrate the HAMAC capabilities.