Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

NASA's&nbsp;$80 million, four-pound Ingenuity Mars helicopter could fly by early April, the agency said this week.&nbsp;However, the miniature rotorcraft&nbsp;first needs to be successfully separated from the Perseverance surface rover and complete a complicated series of preflight tests, including spooling up the composite coaxial rotor system to 2,537 rpm. That entire process is expected to last several days.

 


Both vehicles landed together on the surface of the Red Planet on February 18&nbsp;following an eight-month journey from Earth. The helicopter is still attached to the belly of Perseverance and the vehicle is en route to a 10- by&nbsp;10-meter “airfield” selected for its flat terrain and lack of obstacles.

 


The first flight is expected to climb at a rate of one&nbsp;meters per second, attain an altitude of five&nbsp;meters, and hover for 30 seconds. Parked nearby, Perseverance will downlink Ingenuity’s first set of engineering data and, possibly, images and video from the rover’s navigation cameras and mastcam.

 


Subsequent flights are expected to expand the flight envelope to a maximum altitude of five&nbsp;meters over a pre-selected course that measures a mere 90 meters end-to-end.

 


While Ingenuity is not kitted with any scientific instruments, it is equipped&nbsp;with a camera system that can take images of the ground at a rate of 30 per second and analyze them, combining&nbsp;with a sensor system that can adjust flight controls at a rate of 500 per second to ensure vehicle trajectory and stability.

 


Ingenuity’s flight campaign is expected to last 31 Earth days. The aircraft is fitted with a postage-stamp-size piece of fabric from the original Wright Flyer.&nbsp;

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

NASA Readies Mars Helicopter for First Flight

NASA Ingenuity helicopter could fly on Mars sometime in early April. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Nepal’s army and private operators have deployed rotorcraft across the flood zone

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Pentagon permission facilitates sale of Bell 412EXP and 407M

U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

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New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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