An Amazing Aeroplane!

I want an Aerosonde!

This summer, a fleet of small unmanned aircraft, similar to radio-controlled models sold by hobby stores, is to be launched into the heart of hurricanes to beam back information that may sharpen the accuracy of tropical forecasts, scientists say.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to launch the 30-pound drones, called Aerosondes, from Jamaica or Barbados during the 2008 hurricane season into storms that pose an initial threat to the Caribbean.

Manufactured by Aerosonde, based in Melbourne, Australia, the propeller-driven weather probes, which cost more than $50,000 each, are engineering marvels.

Equipped with a 1.6-horsepower engine and flight management computer, the drone can fly an astonishing 2,300 miles on 1.5 gallons of fuel at a cruising speed of about 60 mph.

With such stamina, the drones can be directed into a hurricane and drift in its swirling winds for more than 20 hours. After enduring the turbulence, they are rugged enough to return to their home base intact.

The Aerosondes are part of a broader NOAA program to use unmanned aircraft to monitor global events, such as arctic ice melting, volcanic lava flows and changes in fish and whale populations. NOAA recently invested an additional $3 million in its overall unmanned aircraft program.

Aerosondes already have flown more than 1,000 hours in the Arctic yet are so flexible that they also can fly in baking Sahara heat, said Daniel Fowler, a drone operator with the Aerosonde firm.

He said the plane is constructed with tough polymers, such as those used in bulletproof vests, and other advanced materials.

30 pounds: That's about what a two-year-old weighs.

1.6 HP engine: That's less than half the horsepower of my cheap lawnmower.

2300 miles: That's about the distance from Bloomington to Vancouver, BC.

1.5 gallons of gas: That's better than 1,500 miles per gallon.

Wow. That's about all I can say. Wow.