Integrating components necessary to satisfy the naval requirements, such as interference shielding and stronger landing gear delayed the initial flight by 4 months. Due the limited time allotted to ACTDs (2 years maximum) the first flight delay resultedin less time for users to assess the system military utility. As a result of these and other modifications, the weight of a fueled AV ballooned from a projected weight of 385 pounds at the time of contract award to an actual weight of 578 pounds. This weight increase created significant sea-based launch and recovery issues that were never resolved.