View Full Version : Airbus Demonstrate Automatic AAR
https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/04/airbus-achieves-worlds-first-fully-automatic-refuelling-contacts.html
Airbus achieves world’s first fully automatic refuelling contacts
esscee
19th Apr 2020, 08:46
That may get good ole Boeing even more annoyed as they still have their "troubles" with the 767 tanker.
safetypee
19th Apr 2020, 16:20
I suppose the next move is to demonstrate fully autonomous tanking, but that might depend on the USN participating with an MQ-25 !
Umm. No. Fully automatic requires no action apart from station keeping on the part of the receiver - which means a boom.
The MQ-25 just has a basket and still requires basket jousting on the part of the receiver pilot.
Nige321
19th Apr 2020, 22:43
Umm. No. Fully automatic requires no action apart from station keeping on the part of the receiver - which means a boom.
The MQ-25 just has a basket and still requires basket jousting on the part of the receiver pilot.
Around 7 years ago I was doing the university open days with my son looking at aero engineering.
At one, and I think it was Bristol, we saw a rig set up to research just that, using AI and computer vision to get a probe in a basket autonomously...
I've got a feeling the basket had something on it to 'fly' it...
Nige321,
I posted the following link a few months back on work on automated hose stabilisation. Still in early trials, requires the same sort of camera systems as for the boom - but would need integrating into every pod - and has flying strokes for aerodynamic control on the basket.
As I recall someone commented the first I posted, good luck with that with the amount of beating and damage baskets end up getting from the probe.....
Regardless, still a long way from successful trials.
https://www.robins.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2099981/nfac-wind-tunnel-testing-demonstrates-successful-integration-of-refueling-monit/
https://www.defensenews.com/smr/singapore-airshow/2022/02/18/airbus-completes-midair-automatic-refueling-trials-with-singapores-f-16-preps-for-tests-with-f-15/
Airbus completes midair automatic refueling trials with Singapore’s F-16, preps for tests with F-15