Jean Kumaga reports about the 15 year evolution of Stratellite, an autonomous airship for high-altitude, long-duration flights that can take off, maneuver and land without human controls even after an air disaster.
It started during a hallway chat between Bernd Kröplin, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Stuttgart and colleague Frank Epperlein as they drew diagrams on the wall.
They will launch their latest version of the vessel, an “Airchain,” in September in Germany, weather permitting.
Kroplin said, “In the field of flight-vehicle design, there are only a few ideas around, and you get educated in these ideas, and it’s not so easy to switch your brain to a totally different concept. But if we continue to have discussions and tests, eventually we can convince people.”
It almost seems like a 21st century version of the Wright brothers in 1902. What a great story for PK12 students to monitor with their Tablet PCs. I like it!
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