AeroVironment Helios Prototype
Solar-powered flying wing that set a world altitude record.
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NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center / NASA/Nick Galante · Public domain
The AeroVironment Helios Prototype was the fourth and final aircraft in an evolutionary series of solar- and fuel-cell-system-powered unmanned aerial vehicles developed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. It was built to develop technologies for long-term, high-altitude flight as an atmospheric satellite, performing research and serving as a communications platform. The Helios Prototype was derived from the NASA Pathfinder and NASA Centurion aircraft.
Background
The Helios Prototype was created by modifying the NASA Centurion with a sixth 41 ft wing section and a fifth landing gear and systems pod, becoming the fourth configuration in the series of solar-powered flying wing demonstrators. Its larger wing accommodated more solar arrays for sun-powered development flights. The aircraft could be configured in two ways: HP01 focused on altitude using batteries and solar cells, while HP03 optimized endurance with solar cells, storage batteries, and a hydrogen–air fuel cell system, reducing motors from 14 to ten. The maiden flight occurred on September 8, 1999, followed by battery-powered development flights to validate wing performance and handling qualities.
The Helios Prototype was an ultra-lightweight flying wing with a 247 ft wingspan, longer than a C-5 or Boeing 747, constructed mainly of carbon fiber, graphite epoxy, Kevlar, Styrofoam, and transparent plastic skin. It had 72 trailing-edge elevators for pitch control and used differential motor power for yaw and pitch control. From 2000 to 2001, HP01 received upgrades including new avionics, high-altitude environmental control systems, and a SunPower solar array with over 62,000 rear-contact solar cells.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AeroVironment Helios Prototype?
It was a solar- and fuel-cell-powered flying wing that served as the fourth and final aircraft in NASA's ERAST program. Built by AeroVironment and evolving from the Pathfinder and Centurion designs, it aimed to prove that an unmanned aircraft could loiter at high altitude for weeks on renewable energy alone.
What altitude record did the Helios Prototype set?
On August 13, 2001, the aircraft climbed to 96,863 feet, establishing a world altitude record for an unmanned vehicle. That single flight made it the highest-flying solar-powered UAV ever recorded.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: AeroVironment Helios Prototype (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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