MEDIA RELEASE
Senator the Hon. Ian Macdonald
Robotic Aircraft Attempting a Crossing of the North Atlantic
Senator Macdonald who officially launched the joint Aerosonde project in Canberra on the 11th May 1998 said that this trans Atlantic Flight shows the world class technological expertise that exists in Australian industry and in the Bureau of Meteorology.
"Today's (Tuesday Australian time) Aerosonde departure from Bell Island Airport in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, and arrival is expected at the Benbecula Military Range on South Uist of the Outer Hebrides Islands in Scotland.
"This transatlantic crossing attempt follows extensive trials held in Australia and Asia over the past year and if successful, the flight will be the first by a robotic aircraft across the North Atlantic. It follows a path similar to that taken by the first Atlantic manned crossing by Alcock and Brown.
"This provides a further rigorous test of the Aerosonde as the crossing will cover about 3200 kilometres, and is expected to take about 13 hours," Senator Macdonald said.
The Aerosonde robotic aircraft is a 3-metre wingspan, 15kg aircraft, powered by a 26cc engine that has been developed by a Melbourne company, Environmental Systems and Services Pty Ltd in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology and the US-based Insitu Group.
The Aerosonde is fully autonomous in flight but will respond to commands relayed from ground stations. Despite its small size, the Aerosonde is a remarkably robust workhorse that can operate under almost any atmospheric conditions. It squeezes 500 km to the litre of fuel from its tiny engine and has flown continuously for over 30 h in field programs.
"This world first attempt is being undertaken by the Insitu Group and the University of Washington, using Aerosondes recently purchased by the university from Environmental Systems and Services on a grant from the US Office of Naval Research.
"Flights are planned to collect meteorological data and demonstrate the capacity of the aircraft to operate over all ocean basins taking observations in critical locations for weather forecasting.
"A workshop and a series of discussions on Aerosonde use in taking special adaptive observations for computer weather forecasts are also being held concurrently at the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting in Great Britain. This workshop includes scientists from the Bureau of Meteorology, the University of Reading and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office," Senator Macdonald said.
Further details on the crossing and the Aerosonde project can be obtained at:
http://www.bom.gov.au/bmrc/meso/New/aerohome.htm
Ends 18 August 1998
Media contact Philip Connole 07 4771 3066 or 0417 063 605