Guy Norris/MOJAVE
Wyman-Gordon is predicting an estimated market for up to 1,000 of the unconventional Proteus high-altitude, long operation (HALO) aircraft being built by its subsidiary Scaled Composites. The US investment company hopes to begin proof-of-concept trials as early as 2000.
The prediction, from Wyman-Gordon's chairman and chief executive David Gruber, follows the signing of an agreement with St Louis, Missouri-based Angel Technologies, giving it exclusive rights to the HALO-Proteus for commercial telecommunications applications. If Angel exercises all its options, the contract will be worth $760 million, covering 100 aircraft which will be deployed to 30 cities worldwide.
The aircraft is designed to loiter at altitudes above 51,000ft (9,500m) over metropolitan areas, providing a platform for a large broad-band communications antenna. According to Angel Technologies, these will form the apex of its HALONetwork, delivering a variety of fixed, portable and mobile wireless services including voice, data, images and video at faster rates than current dial-up modem speeds.
"We estimate a single site will make up to $400 million per year," says Gruber. "We believe that there are roughly 300 sites, each of which will require either three or four aircraft operating in shifts to provide continuous coverage 24h a day."
Flight testing of the first aircraft is now under way and certification is expected in three and a half years' time. "However, we're hopeful we can start with three aircraft to demonstrate revenue service over a city before that," says Gruber, who adds that the scheme could begin as early as 2000.
The company is in "preliminary discussions" with the US Federal Aviation Administration over clearance for early operations with pre-certified aircraft.
"We are optimistic we could get it into early service. It's not a transport aircraft and we are only going up to do telecomms missions. There's also a potential national interest angle, as it could provide emergency coverage in the event of an earthquake, or other disaster," Gruber adds.
Production aircraft will be manufactured by a new subsidiary, Scaled Technology Works, based in Montrose, Colorado.
Source: Flight International
