A Small Autonomous Aircraft for Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere

A variety of recent technical developments, especially in equipment for navigation and communications, has created opportunity for long-range autonomous operations by aircraft of remarkably small size. Aircraft weighing less than 15 kg can now carry avionics and fuel sufficient for missions of several thousand kilometres and several days duration, at altitudes from sea level to perhaps as high as 15 km. Their payload, while small, is sufficient for many applications in earth and atmospheric science, and their low cost should stimulate use on a wide scale. We first proposed these "aerosondes" in 1991, to satisft long-standing requirements for in situ weather data over remote and oceanic regions of the globe. Engineering development began in 1992, and three prototype aircraft have since been built. Here we propose to complete development and flight testing of the third prototype, including demonstration of long-endurance capability. In Phase II an initial operational aircraft will be designed and teken into long-range field trials.