Unique New MAV Operates With High Aerodynamic Efficiency Published Feb. 26, 2010 By Maria Callier Office of Scientific Research ARLINGTON, Virginia -- Joint funding by Air Force Research Laboratory's European Office of Aerospace Research and Development and the French Department of Defense facilitated a French researcher's design of a new micro air vehicle concept capable of high aerodynamic efficiency even in adverse conditions. Dr. Jean Marc Moschetta, professor of aerodynamics at the Institut Superieur de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace--loosely translated as the French aerospace engineering school (Toulouse, France)--created what he calls the MAVion, a 30 cm, fixed-wing MAV with two counterrotating propellers. The simplistic but rugged design enables smooth, steady transition between hover and fast-forward flight--an attractive feature for military and commercial use alike. The ultimate goal of the MAVion concept is to demonstrate this twofold capacity for hover and fast-forward flight in the same vehicle. So successful was Dr. Moschetta's MAV design that it took top honors at the Fourth Annual International Micro Air Vehicle Flight Competition. Encouraged by the current craft's success, Dr. Moschetta is now considering a MAVion oriented towards vertical flight and incorporating various quality improvements in handling. The counterrotating tandem propellers already in place provide a simple means for enhancing yaw control, which is particularly important in vertical flight.