Micro Air Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (MART) : Benefits

Micro Air Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (MART) : Benefits

Question: CSIR has just established a Micro Air Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel(MART) at National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL). What are the features and benefits of this scientific innovation.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research/CSIR has established a Micro Air Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel/MART at the National Aerospace Laboratories/NAL campus in Bengaluru

Features and Benefits

• CSIR has provided a boost to the Indian national Programme on Motor Air Vehicles/NP-MICAV through this innovation

• NP MICAV is jointly coordinated by DRDO and DST, GoI

• This is the first innovation of its kind in India for testing fixed wing, rotary wing and flapping wing MAVs in the 500 mm wingspan category

• This technological advanced facility will meet aerodynamic, propulsion and aero elastic issues pertaining to MAVs

• Tunnel has a provision for closed test section (for studying aerofoil sections/3D wing body models) or open jet test section (for flapping and rotary wing studies)

About MAVs

Micro Air Vehicle or MAVs of fixed wing have been developed of the following:

• Black Kite
• Golden Hawk
• Pushpak

• MAVs are lightweights all flying platforms with maximum wingspan of 300 mm and all up weight of 350 grams as well as payload capacity of 40 to 60 grams

• These can be used for various different kinds of civilian and military applications

• R & D activity in mini and micro air vehicles was first proposed in a 1998 seminar of The Aeronautical Society of India in Hyderabad

• In the month of August 2010, NP MICAV was launched to develop MAVs and their associated technologies

• This 5 year long project has an outlay of INR 1.15 crore rupees

Facts and Stats

• Each of the MAVs have 300-450 mm span, 300g weight, 2 km range and endurance of 30 minutes

• MAVs have been demonstrated for ITBP, CRPF, Punjab Police, NDRF, IDS, Artillery Training School and so on

• A high altitude mini UAV has also been successfully tested and developed