6-Sep-2024Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, recently completed a successful seven-hour flight test of its fuel-cell-powered small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS), SKIRON-XLE. The test flight, conducted at an airfield in Virginia, represents a significant advancement in flight endurance for the Group 2 platform. SKIRON-XLE is part of Aurora’s SKIRON sUAS product line, which also includes... Read more
4-Nov-2022Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, has released its latest small UAS product, the Skiron Expeditionary sUAS, or SKIRON-X. This Group 2 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) combines the simple operation of an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) configuration with the longer range and endurance of a fixed-wing design. SKIRON-X is a flexible solution for... Read more
6-May-2021Source: Columbia Helicopters
Columbia Helicopters (Columbia) and Aurora Flight Sciences (Aurora), a Boeing Company, this week entered into a memorandum of understanding to jointly explore the design, integration, testing, and demonstration of an enhanced pilot situational awareness (EPSA) degraded visual environment (DVE) flight capability on a Columbia helicopter to be used for aerial wildland fire suppression. Since aerial... Read more
14-Dec-2017Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences conducted a successful demonstration of the company’s autonomous helicopter system developed under the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) program. Held at Marine Corps Base Quantico’s Urban Training Center, the AACUS-Enabled UH-1H (AEH-1) conducted multiple flights, showcasing its ability to autonomously execute re-supply missions in relevant and... Read more
2-Nov-2017Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
The UH-1, originally developed in the late 1950s and made famous by its role in the Vietnam War, was chosen by Aurora for its latest conversion to a robotic vehicle. The Aurora UH-1H, a later version of the UH-1 built in 1977, was initially certified under FAA Order 8130.2, which covers “inhabited” experimental aircraft such... Read more
14-Nov-2016Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora’s TALOS system has been demonstrated previously on a Boeing H-6U Unmanned Little Bird flown autonomously, and three different human-piloted Bell 206 aircraft. “The arrival of a Huey as our third test platform frames a key point for future customers – the TALOS system is platform agnostic; you’re not buying a new fleet of helicopters,... Read more
31-May-2016Source: USMC
Aurora Flight Sciences tested new capabilities of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System in Bealeton, Virginia, May 25, 2016. The AACUS is an autonomy applique kit that enables operations of full-scale rotary-wing aircraft in and out of austere landing zones, tactically, with little human assistance. “We know how to make things fly, we’ve been doing it... Read more
26-Apr-2016Source: Aurora
Aurora Flight Sciences announced today that a subscale vehicle demonstrator (SVD) of its LightningStrike, Vertical Take-off and Landing Experimental Plane (VTOL x-plane) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was successfully flown at a U.S. military facility. The flight of the subscale aircraft met an important DARPA risk reduction requirement, focusing on validation of... Read more
16-Nov-2015Source: US DoD
Aurora Flight Sciences, Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded $11,146,376 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00018 under previously awarded contract N00014-12-C-0671 for the Autonomous Aerial Cargo I Utility System (AACUS) program. The Office of Naval Research funded the AACUS program which is an innovative Naval prototype pursuing significant advances in the state of the art in rotorcraft autonomy. ... Read more
15-Jul-2014Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences announced from the Farnborough Air Show that they have been selected by Bell Helicopter to manufacture composite airframe structures as part of the Bell 525 Relentless™ helicopter program. The composite fairings of the Bell 525’s main engine cowling section will be manufactured and assembled at Aurora’s Bridgeport, West Virginia facility. Aurora will... Read more
10-Feb-2014Source: Aurora
Aurora Flight Sciences announced today the award of a Phase I contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) X-Plane program. Aurora’s innovative VTOL X-Plane, known as LightningStrike, is designed for efficient hover and high speed, meeting DARPA’s ambitious goals for performance and useful load capacity. LightningStrike leverages Aurora’s... Read more
15-Dec-2013Source: Senator Thad Cochran
U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today reported that the Department of Defense has awarded a $14.0 million competitive contract to Aurora Flight Sciences in Columbus to assist in the development of a new aircraft for the Department of Defense. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded the contract under its X-Plane program to support development... Read more
27-Sep-2013Source: Sikorsky
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. this week begins final assembly of the prototype S-97 RAIDER™ helicopter following acceptance of the fuselage structure from Aurora Flight Sciences. Consisting of an integrated cockpit, cabin and tail cone, the composite fuselage arrivedSeptember 20 at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., where the company... Read more
1-May-2012Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences has delivered the first pair of forward engine nacelles to Sikorsky Aircraft for assembly onto the first CH-53K prototype helicopter, the U.S. Marine Corps’ new-generation heavy lift rotorcraft. Both nacelles will be integrated onto the CH-53K Ground Test Vehicle at Sikorsky’s Florida Assembly and Flight Operations (FAFO) facility in West Palm Beach,... Read more
17-Jan-2012Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences has joined the Sikorsky S-97 RAIDER(TM) team that is building a next-generation light tactical helicopter for evaluation by the U.S. military. As an S-97 team member, Aurora is responsible for design engineering and fabrication for the aircraft’s airframes. “Aurora recognizes the revolutionary leap in performance that the S-97 RAIDER helicopter will provide... Read more
12-Jun-2011Source: Sikorsky
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) today announced the certification of the Aurora Flight Sciences’ facility in Columbus, Mississippi, as a UTC Supplier Gold site.  Aurora Flight Sciences becomes the 14th Sikorsky supplier to achieve this milestone for superior operational performance. Qualifying criteria includes best-in-class performance in quality, delivery, lean... Read more
23-Apr-2011Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
On April 26, 2011 Aurora Flight Sciences will celebrate the delivery of the first CH-53K Helicopter Main Rotor Pylon (MRP) structural assembly to Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. The CH-53K helicopter will be the world’s premier heavy lift helicopter. The helicopter will provide the US Marine Corps expeditionary forces with heavy... Read more
5-Apr-2011Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences announced that it has been selected by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to design and build prototype airframes as part of the S-97 RAIDERâ„¢ program. Aurora’s design and manufacturing role will take place over the next several years. Applying Sikorsky structural design methodologies, Aurora engineers will design the airframe to meet challenging weight, strength,... Read more
8-Mar-2011Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences announced that it has been named “Supplier of the Year” for its work on aerostructures by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. The award was announced by Al Altieri, Sikorsky Vice President of Supply Management on January 28, 2011 at Sikorsky’s annual supplier conference. “Aurora is proud to receive this recognition for our dedicated efforts... Read more
5-Jan-2010Source: Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences announced that it reached and successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) and 100% model release milestones for the CH-53K main rotor pylon (MRP) program. These two events define the transition from engineering design to manufacturing of the MRP structure for the System Development and Demonstration SDD aircraft. “Aurora Flight Sciences is... Read more
