Welcome
Welcome to the Clarkson University UAV "Golden Eagle" Project campaign log. The UAV aircraft carries a sonic anemometer, provided by Applied Technologies, Inc., that acquires wind vectors and accelerations. The project is a portion of a greater effort in collecting weather condition and air quality data near wind farms in Indiana funded by the Department of Energy. In doing so, the onshore collaborative is a preliminary step towards gathering data for proposed offshore wind turbine farms on and around Lake Erie. Several academic institutions and industries are partnered in the research, including Clarkson University, Indiana University, Case Western Reserve University, Arizona State University, EDP Renewables, and SgurrEnergy. Feel free to email the project for more information concerning the campaign, team members, or the "Golden Eagle" UAV aircraft.
Preparations for Maiden Flight
Welcome from Indiana! We arrived last Saturday and have settled into the two apartments we will occupy for the next two weeks. So far, the UAV has been prepared for its maiden flight which is set to occur today. Like any custom build (considering that the entire aircraft was designed from the ground up by our own Dan Valyou) it needed some adjustments to the engine and electronics. Also, we performed a complete inspection of the aircraft to verify airworthiness.
On Tuesday the 8th, the team made its way out to the private grass airfield near the wind farm. The team is very pleased with the airstrip, especially considering the fact that we have 3,600 feet of open, clear, flat runway which is something very hard to come by in Potsdam, NY.
Unfortunately, we did not utilize the runway that day, but we managed to calibrate the telemetry tracking unit and remote camera on the aircraft, as well as turn the engine over for the first time. The 3W-85xi motor ran fantastically and needs virtually no tuning whatsoever.
At the end of testing on Tuesday we gathered the team together for a group photo. And what better time to introduce the team than with this picture.
From left to right:
Jordan Janas - Payload Specialist
Zack Koski - Pilot
Shaun Coller - Communications Specialist
Dan Valyou - Crew Chief and Engineer
Mike Tranchitella - Consulting Engineer and Pilot
Nathan Torkaman - Electronics Specialist
Pier Marzocca - Mission Commander
Jonathan Fearer - Documentarian and Videographer
Not Pictured:
Ian Kraus - Pilot
Matt Rossman - Autopilot System Integration Specialist
Suresh Dhaniyala - Science Investigator
Lin Tian - Science Investigator
The entire team would love to extend its thanks to Mike from UAV-Assistance, LLC for his consultation in the final preparations of the "Golden Eagle" aircraft. He has designed numerous aircraft in the same class as the "Golden Eagle" and has logged over 1,000 hours of flight time for UAVs.
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