Aurora begins Goldeneye UAV flights at Virginia headquarters

Aurora Flight Sciences has begun flight testing its Goldeneye ducted-fan vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The initial 70kg (150lb) Goldeneye-100 completed its first vertical take-off and hover on 8 September at the company's Manassas, Virginia, headquarters.

A number of smaller, less expensive, 7.5kg Goldeneye-50s will be used for "aggressive" flight-envelope expansion, Aurora says, including transition between vertical and horizontal flight. The shrouded-propeller UAV uses pivoting wings for forward flight. Aurora says initiation of Goldeneye flight testing improves its chances of winning the Class II UAV requirement for the USArmy's Future Combat Systems. Lead systems integrator Boeing/SAIC recently delayed selection of the Class II UAV because technology was not mature enough.

Source: Flight International