He made a bold but flawed bid to create a new sector of aviation, and now very-light-jet pioneer (VLJ) Vern Raburn is returning to aerospace, assuming the reins of another start-up taking aim at a market that does not exist-yet. Raburn, who founded VLJ maker Eclipse Aviation in 1998 and saw the company set a production record before he was ousted in 2008 as the company headed into bankruptcy, has been named CEO and chairman of Titan Aerospace, a New Mexico-based start-up developing solar-powered, high-altitude, ultra-long-endurance unmanned aircraft. Titan is developing the Solara series of "atmospheric satellites," aiming to fill the gap between conventional aircraft and satellites with solar-powered UAVs that could stay aloft at 65,000 ft. for up to five years.
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