scope:

Description of Driving Event:

The project, which focused on technology demonstration, needed to decide whether to use a full size or scale model aircraft to achieve its research objectives. The decision would determine the complexity, cost, time, and test procedures necessary to achieve the objectives.

The project used several factors to determine the final outcome. Several of particular importance were:

• Most of the technology had been researched and developed in previous and extensive bench or wind-tunnel studies. The project would only be integrating them into a flight vehicle

• A manned flight vehicle was not a requirement

• The project would be tested in a remote and unpopulated flight test area