AVAV-q Aerovironment, Inc.

[Deepglue]

Drone planes for a super power!!
Hit 52 week low on less than expected results for Q3.
Rebound...


Open: 22.090 Yield: N/A
High: 23.520 EPS: 1.140
Low: 21.780 P/E Ratio: 20.447
Bid Price: 23.000 Ex Date: N/A
Bid Size: 100 Dividend: N/A
Ask Price: 24.000 52 Week High: 41.220
(2/13/2009)
Ask Size: 100 52 Week Low: 18.500
(3/11/2009)
Avg Volume: 575,700 Shares Out: 21.328 million
Quoted Market Value: 497.156 million


Aerovironment, Inc.
181 W. Huntington Drive
Suite 202 Phone: (626) 357-9983 http://www.avinc.com
Monrovia CA 91016 Fax: (626) 359-9628 info@avinc.com

AeroVironment, Inc. was originally incorporated in the State of California in July 1971 and reincorporated in Delaware in 2006. In January 2007, the Company completed its initial public offering. The Company designs, develops, produces and supports a technologically-advanced portfolio of small unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, that they supply to organizations within the U.S. Department of Defense, or DoD, and fast charge systems for electric industrial vehicle batteries that they supply to commercial customers. The Company is organized into three segments based on its business operations, UAS, PosiCharge Systems, and Energy Technology Center, which focused on the development of innovative, electric energy technologies for internal and external customers, and also developed, produced and supported a line of electronic test equipment used for research and development activities. As of May 1, 2008, the operations of its PosiCharge Systems and Energy Technology Center were consolidated to form the newly named Efficient Energy Systems segment. The Company's small UAS, including Raven, Wasp, Dragon Eye and Puma, are designed to provide valuable Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, or ISR, including real-time tactical reconnaissance, tracking, combat assessment and geographic data, directly to the small tactical unit or individual warfighter, thereby increasing flexibility in mission planning and execution. The small unmanned aircraft wirelessly transmit critical live video and other information generated by their payload of electro-optical or infrared sensors, enabling the operator to view and capture images, during the day or at night, on a hand-held ground control unit. In support of the small UAS, the Company offers a suite of services that help to ensure the operation of its products by the customers. The Company provides spare parts as well as repair, refurbishment and replacement services through its services operation. Developed from its work on electric and hybrid electric vehicles and advanced battery systems in the 1990s, PosiCharge fast charge systems quickly and safely recharge industrial vehicle batteries while they remain in the vehicle during regularly scheduled breaks and other times when the vehicle is not in use, thereby maintaining a level of energy throughout the workday. The Company's Energy Technology Center, which was consolidated with its PosiCharge Systems segment effective May 1, 2008, produces and sells a line of advanced electric load and sink systems used to test batteries, electric motors and fuel cell systems, and provides contract engineering services to internal and external customers. The Company sells the majority of its small UAS to organizations within the DoD, and the majority of its PosiCharge fast charge systems to commercial customers. The Company sell its PosiCharge fast charge systems through a dedicated, direct sales force whose members are located in close proximity to the customers they support. The competitive factors in the markets for its products and services include product performance, features, acquisition cost, lifetime operating cost, including maintenance and support, ease of use, integration with existing equipment, quality, reliability, customer support, brand and reputation. AeroVironment, Inc. relies on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and unfair competition laws, as well as license agreements and other contractual provisions, to protect its intellectual property and other proprietary rights. Due to the fact that the Company contracts with the DoD and other agencies of the U.S. government, its is subject to federal regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulations, Defense Federal Acquisitions Regulations, Truth in Negotiations Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, False Claims Act and the regulations promulgated under the DoD Industrial Security Manual.

[Deepglue]

Aerovironment Inc (US:AVAV-Q)
Last: Change: Volume: 4:00 PM ET
24.660 +0.830 (3.48%) 306,028 April 09, 2009....

[Deepglue]

Aerovironment Inc (US:AVAV-Q)
Last: 4:00 PM ET
31.680 July 02, 2009

DARPA Awards AeroVironment Phase II Contract Extension for Nano Air Vehicle Development Program


AV Achieves Technical Milestone: Controlled Hovering Flight of NAV UAS with Two Flapping Wings (Rules of Deception, Christopher Reich)
9:10 AM ET, July 1, 2009

MONROVIA, Calif., Jul 01, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (US:AVAV) was awarded a Phase II contract extension in April from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design and build a flying prototype for the Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program. As part of this program AV has accomplished a technical milestone never before achieved: the controlled hovering flight of an air vehicle system with two flapping wings that carries its own energy source and uses only the flapping wings for propulsion and control.

AV achieved the milestone in December 2008 with the successful 20-second flight of the 'Mercury' interim test vehicle. The nano aircraft is capable of climbing and descending vertically, flying sideways left and right, as well as forward and backward, under remote control.

"The NAV program will push the limits of aerodynamic and power conversion efficiency, endurance, and maneuverability for very small, flapping wing air vehicle systems," said Dr. Todd Hylton, DARPA program manager. "The goals of the NAV program -- namely to develop an approximately 10 gram aircraft that can hover for extended periods, can fly at forward speeds up to 10 meters per second, can withstand 2.5 meter per second wind gusts, can operate inside buildings, and have up to a kilometer command and control range -- will stretch our understanding of flight at these small sizes and require novel technology development."

Dr. Hylton added, "There are still many hurdles to achieve the vehicle we envisioned when the program was started, but we believe that the progress to date puts us on the path to such a vehicle."

The NAV program was initiated by DARPA to develop a new class of air vehicles capable of indoor and outdoor operation. Employing biological mimicry at an extremely small scale this unconventional aircraft is designed to provide new military reconnaissance capabilities in urban environments.

"From the first day of the Phase I effort, we knew that our biggest challenge would be to develop a viable propulsion system, followed by the extreme challenge of creating a control system for such complex operation at such a small scale," said Matt Keennon, AV's project manager and principal investigator on the NAV project. "Both systems were extremely difficult to conceive and required an intense combination of creative, scientific, and artistic problem-solving skills from several key team members. Our progress has been possible only because of the unique R&D environment at AV."

AV's NAV team also developed the Black Widow for DARPA, which evolved into the Wasp III(TM) that now helps protect the lives and enhance the operational effectiveness of front line warfighters.

Keennon said the Phase II effort will focus on optimizing the aircraft for longer flight endurance, establishing the transition capability from hover to forward flight and back, and reducing its size, weight, and acoustic signature. "All of these are distinct technical challenges in their own right that actually conflict with each other, making for an interesting and exciting path ahead," he said.

The Phase II, $2.1 million NAV extension contract is scheduled to continue through summer 2010.

Note to editors: A short video summarizing the program's technical achievements, along with a press release containing more technical detail is available by clicking on NAV Project.

Additional AV News: http://www.avav.com/resources/news/

AV Media Gallery: http://www.avav.com/media_gallery/