Research Projects

The primary objective of the two-phase effort is to culminate with a proof-of-concept flight demonstration of a quarter-scale, low-altitude version of a Dual-Aircraft Platform (DAP).  The platform is to sail back-and-forth without propulsion above a restricted area using the persistent wind shear created by an onshore ocean breeze. 

The Dual-Aircraft Platform (DAP) is a recently patented concept for achieving a low-cost atmospheric satellite which utilizes wind shear as the primary energy source, and has the potential to operate without a substantial energy storage system. Successful demonstrations are likely to lead to strong interest in commercial development towards a larger-scale stratospheric prototype for surveillance and communications applications. 

• Learn more about research projects in the Daytona Beach College of Engineering and its Department of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Department of Electrical, Computer, Software, and Systems Engineering.