June 20, 2007 – Woburn, MA
A PDF of this release is available here.
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The 1/5th scale remote-controlled (RC) model of the Transition in flight over the airport in Shirley, MA on May 22, 2007. (Click on image for a larger view.) |
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A 1/5th scale remote controlled Transition model flew for the first time at the Shirley, MA airport on May 22nd, 2007. Carl Engel and Adam Woodworth, both recent graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, built and flew the model with design guidance from Terrafugia's engineering drawings and aerodynamic analyses. The May 22nd first flight was followed by additional data-gathering tests, also conducted at Shirley, on June 19, 2007.
While a significant body of aerodynamic knowledge had been gained previously through the wind tunnel testing conducted in the spring of 2006, these flights offered additional insight into the flight dynamics of the vehicle.
Comments from the pilot included praise for the vehicle's handling: "It was very responsive to control inputs and tracked very solidly through turns." Other key findings from the flight included demonstration that the Transition's unique take-off and landing characteristics were controllable, even with the faster dynamics of a small vehicle.
The allowable range for center of gravity (CG) placement for stable operation was also explored and confirmed against that determined in previous aerodynamic computational analysis. The relationship between the thrust line and the CG was also investigated, in conjunction with the "channel wing" effect created by the propeller location. These tests confirmed the current design's viability.
Terrafugia wishes to thank the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics for their assistance with this process.