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.

For more information, follow the link to Indiana University's project website, http://mypage.iu.edu/~rbarthel/website/DOEindex.html

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Recap of Yesterday's Endeavors (Flight!)

Hello! We were planning to publish a new post yesterday evening but we had a late night getting back and there was a lot of footage and photos to sort through (more than 13GB to be exact). We're still currently editing and preparing videos. Shaun and Jonathan are going to work on a collaborated video of all of the cameras for the maiden flight, but that will take some time to finish. In total we were using four cameras on the airstrip. For now, here are some clips from the various camera positions of the maiden flight.

Traversing Camera



Landing Threshold Camera



Takeoff Threshold Camera



Wide-Angle Camera



After the maiden flight our post-flight check indicated no issues whatsoever. Because the weather conditions were still favorable, we managed another flight shortly before noon. Later that afternoon, the Indiana University research team and the airfield owner joined us for a group photo with the "Golden Eagle."


We weren't anticipating another flight because of high wind conditions but, for a change, the weather played to our favor. The crew was able to prepare for one more flight for the day, bringing the total up to three. Yesterday was, by far, the best day we have had here in Indiana.

Today isn't so good for flying. Out on the airfield this morning there were 20 mph gusts; definitely not optimal for flight. Currently we are back at the apartments giving the "Golden Eagle" a slightly modified livery. Besides aesthetics, the aircraft is as tight as a drum.

Check back tomorrow for more updates. We'll leave you with a few more photos from yesterday. Enjoy!




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