Solar-powered, formation-enhanced aerial vehicle systems for sustained endurance

Abstract
It has long been known that aircraft flying in closeformation can achieve an overall efficiency much greaterthan is possible for each aircraft flying alone. When coupledwith possible near-term advances in solar-electricpower storage and aeronautical propulsion systems, it istheoretically possible to create a formation flight systemthat is capable of truly infinite endurance. This paperdiscusses a research effort currently underway that addressesthe design and implementation of such a...

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