The PADD team was invited by TIFAC to put up a display and flight
demonstration of the remotely controlled airship in the Science
Expo-2003 in the 90th Indian Science Congress (ISC), held at Jnana
Bharati campus of Bangalore University between 3rd to 7th January 2003.
The PADD team decided to refurbish the Micro airship for this purpose,
with increased envelope volume and engine power, resulting in a higher
performance and payload capacity.
The
refurbished Micro airship (renamed as Mini airship) was extensively
flight tested at Pune Gliding Center, Hadapsar, Pune between 28th to
30th December 2002, and then shipped to Bangalore on 2nd January 2003.
The Micro
airship envelope and fins were put up on a static display at the TIFAC
stall in the exhibition, and three separate flight demonstrations of the
Mini Airship were carried out as per the following schedule at the
grounds of Sports Authority of India, Bangalore
Schedule
16:45 hrs on
3rd January 2003
This
demonstration was witnessed by Prof. V
S Ramamurthy, Secretary, DST Dr. G.
Madhavan Nair, Director, VSSC Mr
Srinivasa Setty Brig.
M. V. Bhat, Director, Survey Training Institute, Hyderabad
10:30 hrs on
4th January 2003
This
demonstration was witnessed by Dr. B.
N. Suresh, Associate Director, VSSC Mr V A
Thomas, Dy Director, ISAC Mr E
Janardhana, Dy Director, VSSC Mr. K
Gururaja of IBM
16:30 hrs on
4th January 2003
This
demonstration was witnessed by Dr. A.
P. J. AbdulKalam, President INDIA Dr.K.
Kasturirangan, Chairman ISRO/ Secretary, DOS Ms.
Vasundhara Raje, Minister of State for Space Mr V
Sundararamaih, Scientific Secretary, ISRO
During some of the flights, a GPS was fitted on the airship, which
recorded a maximum speed of 35 kmph, and max. altitude of 200 ft. A
digital camera and video downlink were mounted on the airship, and
several minutes of video footage of the venue were shot.
Dr. Kalam with the airship in the background
Dr Kasturirangan with the PADD Team
Dr Kasturirangan near the airship
Dr Kasturirangan near the airship
|