Sensors - Wescam

Extreme Planes
A recent Nasa comparison of hale drone
concepts for the communication relay
mission found that a lighter-than-air
vehicle with solar arrays and a hydrogen-
The much heralded
jet-powered General
Atomics Predator C,
or Avenger, had its
maiden flight in April
2009, featuring a
stealthy configuration
and an internal
weapons bay.
(General Atomics)
Reports indicate that the Pentagon is also
attracted to HTA aircraft by the fact that
they are easier to deploy.
For HTA drones to achieve extreme
endurance, they need to combine
advanced solar panels and energy storage
tion, to be delivered within five years. In
the same weight category, the Aurora
Flight Sciences Sunlight Eagle grosses 75
kg, but has a span of 35 metres.
Aurora, teamed with Boeing, is also
working under SMDC funding on the
3175-kg, 40-metre span Orion, a prototype
of which is due to fly this year. In
definitive Hale form with 76-metre span
and 5272-kg gross weight, this is to be fitted
with a hydrogen-fuelled Ford piston
engine, and is designed to remain at
around 65,000 ft for seven days.
In a similar category, but using a liquid
hydrogen-powered fuel cell, the Aerovironment
Global Observer GO-1 is a 4100-
kg, 40-metre-span drone of which three
have been ordered under a JCTD (Joint
Capability Technology Demonstration)
programme supported by six government
organisations. Funding currently totals
$ 120 million. The GO-1, which was due to
This variant of the General Atomics Predator B is named Guardian, and is equipped with a Raytheon Seavue maritime radar for use
by US Customs and Border Protection and the US Coast Guard. (US Customs and Border Protection)
This artist’s impression shows a
Lockheed Martin project aimed at the
US Air Force’s emerging requirement
for an MQ-M drone to replace both
Predator and Reaper. Two wing sizes
are proposed. This image suggests that
the engine(s) will drive a generator that
will power a podded motor. Whether
the tail surface will be happy to live
with the propeller’s turbulence remains
to be seen. (Lockheed Martin)
air proton exchange membrane fuel cell
gave the best mission performance. However,
a diesel-engined conventional wingfuselage-tail
HTA (heavier-than-air)
design emerged as the preferred consumable
fuel concept (accepting its more limited
endurance) in view of the large size
and technical risks of the LTA vehicle.
facilities with sailplane-like lift/drag
ratios. This implies a long-span, relatively
fragile wing. The Pentagon sees this type
of aeroplane as having potential in the
sigint role.
In 2008 the 31-kg Qinetiq Zephyr Six
stayed aloft for 3.44 days, an unofficial
endurance record for drones. The
improved Zephyr Seven will weigh 80 kg
and have a wingspan of 18.1 metres. It is
scheduled to fly this year and achieve an
endurance of 14 days. In May 2009 Navair
awarded Qinetiq a $ 45 million contract
for seven Zephyrs and one ground stamake
its first flight by the end of April
2010, is planned to loiter at around 60,000
ft with a 180-kg payload for up to one
week. The follow-on GO-2 will have a span
of 79 metres and a payload of 450 kg.
The current ’ultimate’ in solar-powered
HTA projects is the Darpa Vulture,
which is envisioned as a 150-metre-span
drone that will carry a 450-kg/5.0-kW payload
to between 65,000 and 90,000 ft and
stay there for five years. Following Phase
One project definition studies, Darpa has
invited bids for a $ 155 million Phase Two
contract to build and fly a demonstrator
Showing minor
changes from its
Predator A forebear,
the General Atomics
MQ-1C Warrior has
a heavy-fuel engine,
automatic take-off and
landing and four
weapon hardpoints.
(US Army)
6 armada Compendium Drones 2010