Test flights are set to start this summer of a Diamond DA42 that will be modified to fly in a "pilot optional" configuration. Aurora Flight Sciences, of Manassas, Va., is creating the Optionally Piloted Vehicle prototype, called the Centaur, for a variety of scientific and military applications. The Centaur will have roughly the same payload and range capabilities as an unmanned MQ-1 Predator, the company said, but with several advantages. "First, it can be flown with a pilot onboard, which will facilitate operation in the National Airspace System," said Aurora President John Langford. "Second, it has two engines, which gives greater reliability and safety. Third, the Centaur is easily reconfigurable so it can carry a variety of payloads. Finally, it has extremely low operating costs. We see it as a crossover product with enormous potential in many markets."
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: "Pilot-Optional" DA42 To Fly This Summer?
