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Centurion

Sponsored by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, under the NASA Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program, the full-scale Centurion is designed by AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, California. This vehicle is a solar-powered craft designed to reach one of the goals of the ERAST program; to fly a payload of scientific data-gathering instruments for up to two hours at an ultra-high altitude of 100,000 feet.  Centurion Home Page

DFRC Photo # Photo Date Image Description
  Skip links in main table Centurion Photo Collection Contact Sheet
EC98-44822-5 December 1998 Centurion during takeoff over lakebed
EC98-44822-16 December 1998 Centurion during takeoff on lakebed
EC98-44803-22 November 1998 Centurion in flight over lakebed
EC98-44803-29 November 1998 Centurion in flight with internal wing structure visible
EC98-44803-60 November 1998 Centurion on ramp with onlookers
EC98-44803-98 November 1998 Centurion in flight over lakebed with STS Mate-Demate Device in background
EC98-44803-100 November 1998 Centurion in flight over lakebed
EC98-44803-110 November 1998 Centurion in flight
EC98-44803-115 November 1998 Centurion in banked flight
EC98-44803-120 November 1998 Centurion in flight settling toward landing on Rogers Dry Lake
EC98-44798-1 November 1998 Centurion in flight
EC98-44798-2 November 1998 Centurion in flight
EC98-44798-3 November 1998 Centurion on lakebed prior to flight at sunrise
EC98-44776-16 October 1998 Centurion on lakebed during functional checkout
EC98-44776-52 October 1998 Centurion on lakebed during functional checkout
EC98-44776-60 October 1998 Centurion on lakebed during functional checkout
Quarter-Scale Prototype
EC97-43965-3 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype during first test flights
EC97-43965-4 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype during first test flights
EC97-43965-6 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype in flight during first test flights
EC97-43965-7 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype landing during first test flights
EC97-43965-8 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype in flight during first test flights
EC97-43965-9 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype in flight during first test flights
EC97-43965-10 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype in flight during first test flights
EC97-43965-12 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype in flight during first test flights
EC97-43965-18 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype on lake bed
EC97-43965-20 March 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype on lake bed
EC97-43931-2 February 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype checkout on ground prior to flight
EC97-43931-10 February 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype pre-flight checklist
EC97-43931-12 February 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype on lakebed ready for flight
EC97-43931-20 February 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype pre-flight checkout
EC97-43931-23 February 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype prepared for taxi tests
EC97-43931-26 February 1997 Centurion quarter-scale prototype pre-flight taxi test

Additional Information

Since 1980 AeroVironment, Inc. (founded in 1971 by the ultra-light airplane innovator -- Dr. Paul MacCready) has been experimenting with solar-powered aircraft, often in conjunction with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Thus far, AeroVironment, now headquartered in Monrovia, Calif., has achieved several altitude records with its Solar Challenger, Pathfinder, and Pathfinder-Plus aircraft. It expects to exceed them with the newer and larger solar-powered Centurion and its successors in NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program, the Centelios and Helios vehicles.The Centurion is a lightweight, solar-powered, remotely piloted flying wing aircraft that is demonstrating the technology of applying solar power for long-duration, high-altitude flight. It is considered to be a prototype technology demonstrator for a future fleet of solar-powered aircraft that could stay airborne for weeks or months on scientific sampling and imaging missions or while serving as telecommunications relay platforms.

Although it shares much of the design concepts of the Pathfinder, the Centurion has a wingspan of 206 feet, more than twice the 98-foot span of the original Pathfinder and 70 percent longer than the Pathfinder-Plus' 121-foot span. At the same time, it maintains the eight-foot chord (front to rear distance) of the Pathfinder wing, giving the Centurion wing an aspect ratio (length-to-chord) of 26 to 1.

Other visible changes from its predecessor include a modified wing airfoil designed for flight at extreme altitude and four underwing pods to support its landing gear and electronic systems, compared with two such pods on the Pathfinder. The flexible wing is primarily fabricated from carbon fiber and graphite epoxy composites and kevlar. It is built in five sections, a 44-foot-long center section and middle and outer sections just over 40 feet long. All five sections have an identical thickness that is 12 percent of the chord, or about 11.5 inches, with no taper or sweep.

Solar arrays that will cover most of the upper wing surface will provide up to 31 kilowatts of power at high noon on a summer day to power the aircraft's 14 electric motors, avionics, communications and other electronic systems. Centurion also has a backup lithium battery system that can provide power for between two and five hours to allow limited-duration flight after dark. Initial low-altitude test flights at Dryden in 1998 are being conducted on battery power alone, prior to installation of the solar cell arrays.

Centurion flies at an airspeed of only 17 to 21 mph, or about 15 to 18 knots. Although pitch control is maintained by the use of a full-span 60-segment elevator on the trailing edge of the wing, turns and yaw control are accomplished by applying differential power -- slowing down or speeding up the motors -- on the outboard sections of the wing.

Centurion movie gallery
Centurion Fact Sheet
Centurion home page at NASA Dryden





Last Modified: January 19, 1999
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