Pendleton UAS Range Discloses Two Tests: Nimbus Aerospace's NX1 Model and Hellhound S-3 Vehicle-Mounted Launcher
Why It MattersPublic testing of a hybrid-electric business jet design at a drone range suggests developers are using low-cost scale models to size propulsion before committing to full-scale production aircraft.
The Pendleton UAS Range (PUR) in Pendleton has disclosed two recent successful tests, one from the commercial sector and one from defense. Many projects tested at the range are kept confidential as companies and agencies develop drone technology.
Seattle-based Nimbus Aerospace completed flight tests of a large-scale model of its planned N1000 hybrid-electric business aircraft. The company is working on sizing the propulsion system for the production aircraft. PUR reported that the 1/4-scale remotely piloted model, called the NX1, was flight tested at the range. The model weighs 200 pounds, has a 15-foot wingspan and is powered by two small jet engines.
In the defense test, a new vehicle-mounted launcher for the Hellhound S-3 was successfully tested. The test demonstrated that a single operator can launch and simultaneously monitor multiple precision weapons against different targets. It marked the first vehicle-mounted launch in the company's Hellhound program, and the first time a solo operator controlled multiple Hellhounds using a single hand-held fire control system.
