The UAV-ARDA mk 9 by Jean-Louis Naudin

Advanced Reduced Drag Aircraft
By Jean-Louis Naudin
created on March 3, 2002 - JLN Labs - Last update March 29, 2002

On March 24, 2002 the UAV-ARDA mk9 has done successfully its first test flight.

" The flying wing airplane is the most evocative shape in aviation : a pure wing, unencumbered by tail surfaces or a fuselage, producing lift over every square meter of its surface. ". Richard P. Hallion (PhD), the US Air Force historian.

" L'aile volante représente la configuration aéronautique la plus aboutie : une aile dont la pureté n'est pas altérée par des empennages ou un fuselage, et dont chaque mètre carré de sa surface génère de la portance ". Richard P. Hallion (PhD), directeur du service historique de l'US Air Force.

This was a great moment, the 4 m wingspan flying wing is very impressive in the sky and its flight is really magic for the eyes of the observers...

The UAV-ARDA mk9 is a big model ( 4 m wingspan and 8 kg weight ) it is fully propelled by Electric Power.

For those are interested to know more about the air drag reduction researches conducted by Northrop, I suggest to read :

- AIAA 6th Aerospace Sciences Meeting " Electroaerodynamics in supersonic flow" by M.S.Cahn and G.M.Andrew from Northrop Coporation - N°68-24 January
22-24, 1968

- AIAA 3rd Fluid and Plasma Dynamics conference" Recent experiments in supersonic regime with electrostatic charges" by M.S.Cahn and G.M.Andrew
from Northrop Coporation - N°70-759 June 29-July, 1970

You will find also some interesting informations about some projects on Hypersonic experiments at Mach numbers from 8 to 25 don by the RPI (
Reensselaer Polytechnic Institute ) at : http://lightcraft.meche.rpi.edu/Facilities/hypersonic_shock_tunnel.html

- AIAA 98-0991 "Pressure Investigation of the Hypersonic "Directed-Energy Air Spike" Inlet at Mach Number 10 With Arc Power Up to 70 kW", Toro, P.G.P,
Myrabo, L.N., Nagamatsu, H.T., January, 1998.