lighter-than-air vehicles - Defense Innovation Marketplace

Table 34: Pelican Technical SpecificationsFigure 52: Pelican Envelope Profiles 52Length: 256 ft.Diameter: 96 ft. (max)Volume: 732,110 cu. ft.Max Payload: 44,000 lbs.Payload Type: Airlift/logistics cargoRange: Hangar Demo OnlyFlight Ceiling: Hangar Demo OnlyDuration: Hangar Demo OnlyCruise Speed: Hangar Demo OnlyMax Speed: Hangar Demo OnlyPayload Power Available: 18–19 kWMass: 41,117 lbs.utilized in the Pelican airship. The BAAVprogram, which was completed in 2009,conducted hangar tests to prove a compositerigid structure application to a LTAvehicle. 51Project Pelican is an effort led by theASD(R&E)-RRTO and managed inconjunction with the NASA Ames ResearchCenter. The effort seeks to combine avariety of previously tested technologiesinto a single, non-deployable technologydemonstrator. Contractor Aeros Corporationleads the development and integration work.Aeros was awarded the contract for theeffort in May of 2009. ASD(R&E)-RRTOhas responsibility for the overall projectrequirements and provides funding withinDoD and Congressional guidance. NASAAmes Research Center is responsible foradministering the contract and providingtechnical oversight. Additional program andtechnical support is provided by AirForce/AFRL. 51Pelican is currently in the subsystemverification and vehicle integration phase.Preparations are also being made for thehangar demonstration, which is currentlyscheduled for late 2012. The hangardemonstration has several objectives. Thefirst goal is to demonstrate the effectivenessof the variable buoyancy control COSHsystem that changes the density of thevehicle’s helium to affect control over theairship’s buoyancy. The second goal is toprove the rigid lightweight-compositeexternal structure of the RAVB aircraftmaintains envelope integrity without relyingon differential gas pressure.56