April 20, 2000 : Presenting, 'Lawrence Hargrave'

Dr Greg Holland, CEO and Director, Aerosonde Ltd. (left), Professor Mike Brisk (Dean, Faculty of Engineering) and Professor Greg Egan (Head Of Department: Department Of Electrical And Computer Systems Engineering).

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Dr Greg Holland, CEO and Director, Aerosonde Ltd. (left) and Professor Mike Brisk (Dean, Faculty of Engineering)

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Location :

Foyer, Building 72, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Clayton Victoria, Australia.
Date: Thursday April 20, 2000.
Subject: Presentation of the 'Lawrence Hargrave' Aerosonde robotic aircraft to Monash University's CTIE Aerobotics Research Facility

Image 1

Dr Greg Holland, CEO and Director, Aerosonde Ltd. (left), Professor Mike Brisk (Dean, Faculty of Engineering) and Professor Greg Egan (Head Of Department: Department Of Electrical And Computer Systems Engineering).

Image 2

Dr Greg Holland, CEO and Director, Aerosonde Ltd. (left) and Professor Mike Brisk (Dean, Faculty of Engineering)

Inscription on Aircraft :

Includes acknowledgements: "Aerosonde Ltd - Monash University Research Partnership".

Story :

The Monash 'Lawrence Hargrave' Aerosonde research platform is a R.P.V (remote pilot vehicle) version of the production Aerosonde and has been loaned to Monash by Dr Greg Holland and as part of a strategic research and development collaboration between the university and Aerosonde Ltd.

Examples of current 'R&D' programs include smart imaging systems and telepresence control systems.

To facilitate this activity, the 'Lawrence Hargrave' Aerosonde has been re-configured to fly under the radio control model aircraft regulations, line-of-sight flying from approved fields and flown only by club registered, radio control pilots.

In addition to the flight control modifications, the 'Lawrence Hargrave' Aerosonde uses a standard model aircraft engine running on methanol as opposed to the avgas burning, spark ignition and generator equipped unit used in the production Aerosonde.

As a final variance, unlike the conventional Robotic Aerosonde, the 'Lawrence Hargrave' Aerosonde is equipped with an undercarriage to assist take off and landing from short strips like those available at model aircraft flying fields.

The aircraft is the first in a fleet of Aerosondes that will be named after Australian aviation pioneers and in this case, Lawrence Hargrave (1850-1915) is also the co-namesake of the Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Hargrave-Andrew Library at Monash University.

'Lawrence Hargrave' is however an historic aircraft in its own right. The aircraft was one of the pioneering first fleet of Aerosondes developed under the consortium.

One of the sister ships in this fleet, was the first robotic aircraft to fly the Atlantic Ocean. 'Laima' is now on permanent display at the Seattle Museum of Flight, Washington, USA.

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Additional online information

Aerosonde Ltd. - Home Page
http://www.aerosonde.com

Aerosonde Ltd. - Gallery
http://www.aerosonde.com/gallery.htm

Aerosonde - First robotic aircraft to fly the atlantic
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/aerosonde_atlantic.html

Dr. Greg Holland
recipient of the inaugural Monash Lawrence Hargrave Award 1999.
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/open_day_99.html

Monash University - Lawrence Hargrave - Home Page
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave

Monash University - Eye in the Sky - Home Page
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/eye_in_the_sky1.html

for any further information please feel free to contact

Professor John Bird

Visiting Professor : Centre for Telecommunication & Information Engineering
Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,
Local Phone and Fax : +61 3 9725 7406
Mobile : 0419 509 394
eMail john.bird@eng.monash.edu.au