The IMPULLS is the unmanned research aircraft of the Department of Aviation Systems. It was developed within 15 months by scientific staff under the direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mirko Hornungand completed its successful first flight on April 5, 2011. Partners in the development were Cassidian Air Systems and the Department of Flight System Dynamics, which equips the IMUPLLS with an autopilot. The manufacturing of the aircraft was commissioned by Mibo Modeli.

The aircraft is used to test sensors and systems for aviation. An essential feature is the modular design. With little effort so different systems can be installed and tested under flight conditions. The propulsion is electric and therefore emission-free and quiet. With a total weight of 30kg, the IMPULLS can carry 10kg payload. It reaches a flight time of 75 minutes. It was important to keep the service life of the aircraft on the ground as low as possible. Within 15 minutes it is ready to start again after landing. Many years of experience with the research aircraft UlltraEvo have helped to keep the handling of the aircraft as simple as possible, both in flight and during ground maintenance. The start takes place with a winch. This allowed the starting distance to be kept very short and the drive system to be designed more efficiently. To realize the long flight times with an electric drive, it was also necessary to design the aircraft with an exceptionally high aerodynamic quality. Due to the consistent use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), the weight of the aircraft is very low compared to the transported payload. The IMPULLS is ideal for pollutant measurements in the atmosphere, for airborne geographic measurements or monitoring of nature and infrastructure from the air. Another field of application is the acquisition of information in emergencies and dangerous situations.

Dowload: Technical Specifications

Contact: sekretariat(at)lls.mw.tum.de

Link: TUM Pressemitteilung