Aerodyne Controls, a CIRCOR Aerospace Company, was selected to supply fill and jettison valves, and the vent and isolation valves on the AeroVironment Global Observer unmanned aircraft for the US Special Operations Command. The Aerodyne valves will be designed to operate with cryogenic hydrogen fuel and will be qualified by the end of 2008.
AeroVironment, Inc. is under contract to build a hydrogen-powered high altitude, long endurance unmanned aircraft for the US Special Operations Command. The contract includes options for the development and delivery of two additional Global Observer aircraft. The work is scheduled to finish by April 2011.
Over the next few years the aircraft will demonstrate the ability to operate in the stratosphere for up to seven days without landing. The technology demonstrator is intended to prove the tactical utility of a hydrogen-powered UAS for long duration (five to seven day) missions at altitudes from 55,000 to 65,000 feet.
Aerodyne Controls is a CIRCOR Aerospace company located in Ronkonkoma, New York dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of specialty fluidic control components and systems for demanding aerospace and defense applications. The Aerodyne team specializes in custom pneumatic subsystems for weapons release defense application, custom switches and precision medical technologies.
