Scientists at the University of Maryland conducted a wind-tunnel test of an unmanned aircraft that's being developed for the military.
It can swoop in and save soldiers on the battlefield without sacrificing additional lives. And now the aircraft is a little better understood thanks to an experiment Thursday by researchers at the University of Maryland.
Scientists in College Park, Md., put the aircraft’s propulsion systems through a dramatic wind tunnel test to help predict its behavior during flight.
The AD-150 is being developed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It is designed to carry 500 pounds of weapons or military personnel.
It is one of the few unmanned aircrafts that can take off vertically and travels horizontally through the air as fast as 240 mph.
Some of the test procedures were done using model scales. Researchers hope if the tests were successful, they will make testing of aircraft much less expensive for the military and private companies.
Several more tests of the AD-150 will be conducted over the next few months.
The aircraft was developed by the engineers at the Jessup, Md.-based American Dynamics Flights Systems.
