Rotary Rocket Company's Roton ATV (Atmospheric Test Vehicle) approach and landing demonstrator made its first flight at 0840 am PDT, Friday July 23, 1999. The 65 feet tall by 22 feet diameter conical vehicle was piloted by a two person crew.
The crew for the first flight comprised the pilot, Dr. Marti Sarigul-Klijn, Cmdr. USN-Ret and Roton Chief Engineer, with Brian Binnie, Cmdr. USN-Ret. and Roton Flight Test Director, as copilot. Both crewmembers are highly qualified and experienced flight test pilots.
During the test, the Roton ATV performed three takeoff and landing maneuvers. These maneuvers demonstrated the crews' ability to control the vehicle in the critical touchdown phase of the landing approach.
They also verified the accuracy of the ATV's integrated flight simulator, which the crew had used prior to the test for flight rehearsals. The scheduled nominal test duration was 5 minutes. The actual test duration was 4 minutes and 40 seconds. During the test, the ATV flew at a height of approximately 8 feet, which centered the ATV within the 5 to 10 feet nominal hover height planned.
This first flight test was the culmination of the initial vehicle test program that began in May at the company's Mojave, CA facility. Prior to the first flight, the test program had verified vehicle structural integrity, flight instrumentation, flight controls, landing gear, tip rocket propulsion and rotor operation.
Future ATV flight testing will verify the Roton's pilot-guided approach and landing capability over a wide range of operating conditions and demonstrate landings from altitudes of several thousand feet.
The primary function of the Roton ATV is to gather performance data and demonstrate operational flight of the vehicle's unique tip thruster powered rotor-blade landing system. The Roton ATV is similar in concept to the Space Shuttle Enterprise that NASA built and flew to test the orbiter's landing characteristics before proceeding to build space-worthy version Space Shuttles.
Gary C. Hudson, President and CEO of Rotary Rocket Company said after the successful conclusion of the flight, "It is this demonstrated performance that provides creditability to Rotary Rocket's aims of achieving low-cost space flight."
He went on to congratulate the flight crew and other employees of Rotary Rocket Company for their superb efforts in successfully achieving such an important milestone in the development of the Roton piloted space vehicle.
