Posted on: Sunday, July 8, 2001

Computer crash scuttles solar plane flight

Associated Press

A test flight of the solar-powered aircraft Helios at the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kaua'i was postponed again yesterday, marking another setback in its attempt to reach record heights for an unmanned aircraft.

The unmanned plane was on the runway, minutes from takeoff, when one of its six data computers crashed, according to John Hicks, who manages the project at Dryden Flight Research Center north of Los Angeles.

Scientists rebooted the computer but were unable to keep it running, Hicks said.

This summer, ground pilots hope to fly the plane to a record elevation of 100,000 feet, more than three times higher than commercial jets.

No new date can be set for the launch until the cause of the computer failure is determined and the problem corrected, Hicks said.

The flight had been scheduled for Friday but was postponed because of a strong jetstream over the Islands.

The scrubbing of the flight disappointed a large crowd that had gathered at Barking Sands to watch the takeoff. Skies were sunny and winds were calm, making "a great day for flying," Hicks said.

Helios is a flying wing that measures 8 feet by 247 feet. It was built through a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and California-based AeroVironment Inc.

The $15 million Helios aircraft is controlled on the ground by two pilots using desktop computers. The plane's 14 propeller-driven electric motors are powered by solar cells built into the wing.

On the Web:
AeroVironment Inc. - www.aerovironment.com/
NASA - www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Projects