| 摘要 |
An aircraft 1 has a wing 2 providing the main lifting surface for the aircraft. The wing has a structure supporting an aerodynamic surface, and the wing has a weight, the wing structure being unable to support its own weight when the aircraft is stationary (such as when on the ground 1) and under a load of 1g so as to cause structural failure 16 of the wing. A method of air launching the aircraft comprises lifting the aircraft from the ground to an elevated altitude by a lighter than air carrier 40 using tethers 42. The aircraft has no landing gear and is intended for long endurance flight at high altitude. At the end of the flight the aircraft can be crash landed or retrieved by a net or a landing platform. |
