Introduction to UAV

History of
Unmanned Aerial Systems

Content provided by: V. Ambrosia, S.

Wegener, S. Schoenung

International Symposium on
Remote Sensing of the
 Outline

1.0 UAV Classification

2.0 UAV Functions

3.0 History of UAVs

Pre-1900
1900 – 1980’s
1990’s to Present
The Future

4.0 History of UAV VTOL (Rotorcraft)

1960’s to Present
The Future

5.0 Notable UAV Endurance Flights

 UAV Classification
Although most UAVs are fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft designs are also used. UAVs
typically fall into one of six functional categories:

Target and decoy Reconnaissance

Combat Logistics
Research and Development Civil and Commercial UAVs

They can also be categorized in terms of size / range / altitude:

LASE (low altitude, short-endurance) Handheld: 2,000 ft (600 m) altitude, about

2 km range
LASE Close: 5,000 ft (1,500 m) altitude, up to 10 km range
NATO type: 10,000 ft (3,000 m) altitude, up to 50 km range
Tactical: 18,000 ft (5,500 m) altitude, about 160 km range
MALE (medium altitude, long endurance) up to 30,000 ft (9,000 m) and range over
200 km
HALE (high altitude, long endurance) over 30,000 ft and indefinite range
HYPERSONIC: high-speed, supersonic (Mach 1-5) or hypersonic (Mach 5+) 50,000 ft
(15,200 m) or suborbital altitude, range over 200 km
ORBITAL: low earth orbit (Mach 25+)
 UAV Airspace Definitions

70K
U-2 Global Hawk
60K
HALE
50K Heron 2
Predator B
40K

30K

20K Heron 1 MALE

Predator A
10K Aerostar, Hermes, Sky Eye,
Shadow 200
Vigilante, Fire scout, Hunter,
10

MAV 20
30
LALE

LASE
VTOL International Symposium on
Remote Sensing of the
 UAV Functions
UAVs perform a wide variety of functions. The majority of these functions are some
form of remote sensing; this is central to the reconnaissance role most UAVs fulfill.
Less common UAV functions include interaction and transport.

Remote Sensing

Transport

Scientific Research

Armed Attack

Search and Rescue

 History of Early UAVs: Pre-1900
Years before the first manned airplane flight on December 17, 1903, primitive UAV
technology was used for combat and surveillance in at least two wars

During the American Civil War, Charles Perley

designed a hot-air balloon that could carry a
basket laden with explosives attached to a timing
mechanism. The timer would trip the balloon's
hinged basket, and the explosives would drop out,
igniting a fuse in the process.

During the Spanish-American War of

1898, Corporal William Eddy (US)
took hundreds of surveillance
photographs from a kite rigged with
a long shutter release attached to its
string.
History of Early UAVs: Pre 1900
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
Length: 4.0 m (13 ft 2 in)
Height: 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
Weight: 11.4 kg (25 lb)
Materials:
International Symposium on
Fuselage: Steel Tubing Wings
Remote
and Tail: Wood Sensing
with Silk
Covering
Langley Aerodrome
Number 5
In 1891,Samuel Pierpont Langley
experimented with large, tandem-
winged models powered by small
steam and gasoline engines he
called aerodromes. He flew his first
mission on May 6, 1896, with his
Aerodrome Number 5. It made the
world's first successful flight of an
unpiloted, engine-driven, heavier-
than-air craft of substantial size. It
was launched from a spring-
actuated catapult mounted on top
of a houseboat on the Potomac
River near Quantico, Virginia. Two
flights were made on May 6, one of
1,005 m (3,300 ft) and a second of
700 m (2,300 ft), at a speed of
approximately 40 kph (25 mph).
of the
 History of UAVs: 1900-1920
Three months before the Wright Brother’s manned flight (17 December 1903) Karl
Jatho of Germany flew and unmanned aircraft for longer and higher than the Wright
Brothers Flyer.

Karl Jatho Biplane

Between August and November
of 1903, Karl Jatho demonstrated
a gasoline-fueled pilot-less
biplane that covered a distance
of 196 feet at a height of 11 feet
near Hannover, Germany.
 History of UAVs: 1900-1920
During World War I, the first UAVs took flight in the U.S. Though the success of
UAVs in test flights was erratic, the military recognized their potential in combat.
Armistice arrived before the prototype UAVs could be deployed in earnest

Sperry Aerial Torpedo

In 1917, Dr. Peter Cooper and Elmer A.
Sperry invented the automatic gyroscopic
stabilizer, which helps to keep an aircraft
flying straight and level. Cooper and
Sperry used their technological
breakthrough to convert a U.S. Navy
Curtiss N-9 trainer aircraft into the first
radio-controlled UAV. The Sperry Aerial
Torpedo flew 50 miles carrying a 300-
pound bomb in several test flights, but it
never saw combat.
History of UAVs: 1900-1920

Kettering “Bug”
Aerial Torpedo
Made of wood and canvas for $400
each, the "Kettering Bug" was a small
biplane equipped to carry a bomb load
equal to its own weight—300 pounds.
Charles F. Kettering of General Motors
designed the Bug to take off from a
wheeled trolley and then detach its
wings, allowing its fuselage to dive
vertically towards a pre-programmed
target. The U.S. military ordered large
quantities of the Bug during the last
months of World War I, but when the
war ended the orders were cancelled.
 History of UAVs: 1930’s
For more than a decade after the end of World War I, development of pilotless
aircraft in the U.S. and abroad declined sharply. By the mid-to-late 1930s, new UAVs
emerged as an important combat training tool.

DH.82B Queen Bee

The Queen Bee (UK), the first

returnable and reusable UAV, was
designed for use as an aerial target
during training missions. The spruce-
and-plywood biplanes first flew in 1935
and bore wheels or floats. The Queen
Bee was radio-controlled and could fly
as high as 17,000 feet and travel a
maximum distance of 300 miles at over
100 mph. A total of 380 Queen Bees
served as target drones in the Royal Air
Force and the Royal Navy until they
were retired in 1947.
 History of UAVs: 1930’s
For more than a decade after the end of World War I, development of pilotless
aircraft in the U.S. and abroad declined sharply. By the mid-to-late 1930s, new UAVs
emerged as an important combat training tool.
General characteristics
Crew: None Radioplane
Length: 12 ft 8 in (3.85 m)
Wingspan: 11 ft 6 in (3.50 m) In 1939, Englishman and
Height: 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m)
Empty weight: 271 lb (123 kg) Hollywood actor Reginald Denny
Gross weight: 360 lb (163 kg) formed Radioplane Company
Powerplant: 1 × McCulloch O-100-2, 90 (Northrop / Grumman today)
hp (67 kW)
Performance Denny used a team of engineers
Maximum speed: 230 mph (370 km/h) and radio experts from Lockheed
Endurance: 1 hours Company, and developed a large,
Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,000 m)
remote-controlled airplane called
OQ Targets. The U.S. Air Force
ordered thousands of OQ drones,
which took off via a large slingshot
and landed with the aid of a 24-
foot parachute. The U.S. Army and
Navy used OQ Targets, which cost
about $600 each, to train a whole
generation of anti-aircraft gunners.
 History of UAVs: 1940’s
During World War II, Nazi Germany's innovative V-1 demonstrated the formidable
threat a UAV could pose in combat. America's attempts to eliminate the V-1 laid the
groundwork for post-war UAV programs in the U.S.

V-1 (Germany)
At the outset of World War II, Fieseler
Flugzeuhau designed the Fieseler Fi-
103, better known as the
Vergeltungswaffe (Revenge weapon)-1,
or V-1, to launch via a long catapult-like
ramp and fly at 470 mph. The V-1 UAV
was powered by a thrust pulsejet, which
produced a signature buzzing sound. It
could carry a 2,000-pound warhead and
was pre-programmed to fly 150 miles
before it dropped its bomb. First
launched against Britain in 1944, V-1s
killed more than 900 civilians and
injured more than 35,000 in British
cities.
History of UAVs: 1940’s

PB4Y-1 and BQ-7

The ongoing threat of the German V-1
during World War II prompted the U.S.
Navy to develop UAVs that could
destroy V-1 launch sites. In 1944, the
Navy's Special Air Unit One (SAU-1)
converted PB4Y-1 Liberators and B-17s
to carry 25,000 pounds of explosives
and fly by remote control using
television guidance systems. The
planes, known respectively as the
PB4Y-1 AND BQ-7, took off with a two-
man crew, who would fly the plane to
2,000 feet and set a course for V-1
launch sites in France before bailing
out. Though dangerous, these
operations were successful in knocking
out V-1s and mark the first time a UAV
was used against another UAV.
 History of UAVs: 1960’s
From their early use as target drones and remotely piloted combat vehicles, UAVs
took on a new role during the Vietnam War: stealth surveillance.

AQM-34 Ryan Firebee

Specifications (BQM-34A)
Length: 22 ft 10 in (7.00 m)
Wingspan: 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m)
Empty weight: 1,500 lb (680 kg)
Gross weight: 2,500 lb (1,135 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Continental J69-T-29A, 1,700
lbf (7.6 kN)
Performance
Maximum speed: 710 mph (1,140 km/h)
Endurance: 1 hours 15 min
Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
In 1960, the U.S. Air Force began its
first stealth aircraft program The
resulting AQM-34 Ryan Firebee was air-
launched and controlled from a DC-130
director aircraft. After a mission, the
Firebee UAV was directed to a safe
recovery area, where it deployed its
parachute and was picked up by a
helicopter. From October 1964 to April
1975, >1,000 Ryan Firebee UAVs flew
>34,000 operational surveillance
missions over Southeast Asia. The
Firebee was extremely reliable; 83
percent of the Firebees flown during the
Vietnam War returned to fly another
day.
 History of UAVs: 1960’s
Specifications (D-21)
D-21A and D-21B without booster
Wingspan: 19 ft 1/4 in (5.79 m)
Length: 42 ft 10 in (12.8 m)
Height: 7 ft 1/4 in (2.14 m)
Launch weight: 11,000 lb (5,000 kg)
Maximum speed: Mach 3.35 (2,210 mph,
1,920 knots, 3,560 km/h)
Service ceiling: 95,000 ft (29,000 m)
Range: 3,000 nmi, 3,450 mi, 5,550 km
Engine: 1 x Marquart RJ43-MA-11 ramjet,
1,500 lbf (6.67 kN)
Lockheed D-21
With the shooting-down of Gary Powers'
U-2 spy plane over Russia in 1960, the
CIA began work on a new UAV,
invulnerable to attack. Lockheed
developed a high-speed, ultra-stealth
UAV, producing a single D-21 UAV in
1965. The Mach-4 vehicle, the fastest
UAV in history, was carried on the back
of a piloted M-12 "mother" aircraft and
had a range of 3,000 miles. It operated
at a height of 80,000 feet and was
covered in Lockheed's signature plastic
anti-radar coating, a precursor to the
stealthy outer skin of today's Lockheed
F-117 Stealth Fighter and B-2 Stealth
Bomber. D-21 flew three failed missions
before it crashed and sank on the fourth
at an undisclosed location.
 History of UAVs: 1970’s
The success of the Firebee continued through the end of the Vietnam War. In the
1970s, while other countries began to develop their own advanced UAV systems, the
U.S. set its sights on other kinds of UAVs.

Firebee 1241 (Israel)

Israel secretly purchased 12 Firebees
from the U.S. in 1970, modified them,
and designated them Firebee 1241
UAVs. These Firebee 1241s played an
important role in the 1973 Yom Kippur
War between Israel, Egypt, and Syria,
both as reconnaissance vehicles and as
new kinds of UAVs: decoys. On the 2nd
day of the war the Israelis deployed
their fleet of armed Firebees to lead
attacks against Egyptian air defenses
along the Suez. The Egyptians fired
their entire inventory of surface-to-air
missiles at the Firebees—43 missiles in
all. The Firebees successfully evaded
32 of the missiles and destroyed 11 with
their Shrike anti-radar missiles.
History of UAVs: 1970’s

Ryan SPA 147

In 1970, an RC-121 communications
intelligence (COMMINT) monitoring
aircraft was shot down over the Yellow
Sea, killing the crew on board and
spurring the U.S. military to develop
new UAVs fitted for COMMINT
acquisition and able to fly at high
altitude, above the range of enemy
missiles. Ryan Aeronautical set to work
modifying Firebee target drones so that
they could eavesdrop on enemy radio
messages and take photographs from
above 60,000 feet. The resulting Ryan
Special Purpose Aircraft (SPA) 147,
which could fly for eight hours carrying a
300-pound camera was the first long-
haul UAV equipped for COMMINT at
high altitude.
 History of UAVs: 1980’s
During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, the Israeli Air Force, an aggressive
UAV developer, pioneered several important new UAVs, versions of which were
integrated into the UAV fleets of many other countries, including the U.S.

Scout (Israel)
In 1978, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)
built Scout, a piston-engined aircraft
with a 13-foot wingspan made of
fiberglass. It’s low radar signature,
coupled with it’s small size, made it
almost impossible to shoot down. It
could transmit real-time, 360-degree
television camera surveillance data. In
1982, during the Bekaa Valley conflict,
Israel used a fleet of Scouts to search
out Syrian missile sites and entice the
Syrians to activate their radars. These
allowed Israeli bombers to destroy all
but two Syrian missile sites (17 in all),
allowing them to fly unchallenged in the
skies.
History of UAVs: 1980’s
Pioneer (Israel)
Israel built the Pioneer UAV in the late
1980s and the U.S. military acquired
more than 20 of them, which became
the first small, inexpensive UAVs in the
modern American military forces. The
rocket-boosted Pioneer takes off from a
makeshift runway or carrier flight decks.
The Pioneer can operate up to 5 hours
with a 75-pound (34 kg) payload. It flies
with a gimbaled EO/IR sensor, relaying
analog video in real time via a C-band
line-of-sight (LOS) data link. Since
1991, Pioneer has flown recon missions
during the Persian Gulf, Somalia
(UNOSOM II), Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq
conflicts. During the Gulf War, they flew
a total of 533 sorties.
BREAK
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >
UAVs command a permanent and critical position in high-tech military arsenals
today, from the U.S. and Europe to Asia and the Middle East. They also play
peaceful roles as monitors of our Earth's environment.

Firebird 2001 (Israel)

Another Israeli UAV innovation, the
remotely controlled Firebird 2001 was
prototyped to deliver real-time, highly
accurate information on a wildfire's size,
speed, perimeter, and movement using
a slew of technologies, including global
positioning system technology,
geographic information systems
mapping, and forward-looking infrared
cameras. Wildfire scientists in the U.S.
tested the Firebird, invented in 1996, for
use in fire management, but no further
developments took place.
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >

Pathfinder was a solar-powered, ultra-

Pathfinder lightweight aircraft developed by
AeroVironment Corporation. Pathfinder
was powered by eight electric motors —
which were first powered by batteries. It
had a wing span of 98.4 feet (30.0 m).
In late 1993, solar cells were added,
eventually covering the entire upper
surface of the wing. Pathfinder flew at
an airspeed of only 15 mph (24 km/h) to
25 mph (40 km/h). Pitch control is
maintained by the use of tiny ailerons
on the trailing edge of the wing, turns
and yaw control are accomplished by
slowing down or speeding up the
motors on the outboard sections of the
wing. In 1997, Pathfinder reached an
altitude of 67,350 feet, the highest
altitude ever reached by a solar aircraft.
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >
The Pathfinder was modified in 1998
Pathfinder-Plus into the longer-winged Pathfinder-Plus
configuration. It included a new wing
section which increased the overall
wingspan from 98.4 feet (30.0 m) to
121 feet (36.9 m). The new center
section was topped by more-efficient
silicon solar cells which could convert
almost 19 percent of the solar energy
they receive to useful electrical energy
to power the craft's motors, avionics
and communication systems. Maximum
potential power was boosted to about
12,500 watts on Pathfinder-Plus. The
number of electric motors was
increased to eight. The Pathfinder-Plus
flights in 1998 validated power,
aerodynamic, and systems
technologies. On August 6, 1998,
Pathfinder-Plus raised the national
altitude record to 80,201 feet
(24,445 m) for solar-powered and
propeller-driven aircraft.
History of UAVs: 1990’s >

Helios (US)
The Helios incorporated a fuel cell
energy storage system to provide power
for flying through the night, making it
capable of continuous flight at 50,000 -
70,000 feet for months at a time. Helios
was expected to be widely deployed as
broadband communications platforms,
providing cost-effective complements to
satellite and terrestrial communication
systems. On June 26, 2003, the Helios
Prototype broke up and fell into the
Pacific Ocean west of the Hawaiian
Island Kauai during a systems checkout
flight. The program was subsequently
ended by NASA.
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >
General Characteristics
Primary function: Reconnaissance
Powerplant: One Williams-Rolls FJ44-1A with
1,900 lbf (8.5 kN) thrust
Empty Weight: 4,360 lb (1,980 kg)
Max LoadedWeight: 8,500 lb (3,860 kg)
Dimensions
Length: 15 ft (4.6 m)
Height: 3 ft 6 in (1.1 m)
Wingspan: 69 ft (21.3 m)
Performance
Cruising speed: 288 mph (464 km/h)
Range: 575 mi (925 km)
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,500 m)
DarkStar
The Lockheed Martin / Boeing DarkStar
was one of three high-tech, stealth
surveillance UAVs underway in the late-
1990s as part of a U.S. Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) effort to produce new UAVs by
2015. DarkStar had a length of 15 ft.,
and a wingspan of 60 ft. On March 29,
1996, DarkStar made its first flight,
reaching an altitude of 5,000 feet and
successfully executed a fully automated
flight from takeoff to landing using GPS.
It operated at ranges greater than 500
nautical miles and was able to stay on
station for more than eight hours at
altitudes greater than 45,000 feet. In
1999 the Defense Department
terminated the DarkStar program.
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >
Rheinmetall KZO
KZO (Kleinflugzeug für Zielortung,
German for small aircraft for target
acquisition) is stealth UAV built by
Rheinmetall Defense Electronics of
Germany. A KZO system consists of 10
UAVs and 2 ground units, consisting of
one control station, one radio, one
launch, one maintenance vehicle with a
General Characteristics: refuelling facility for the UAVs and one
Wingspan: 3.42m recovery vehicle. The UAV is launched
Length: 2.28m with a booster rocket directly out of its
Body diameter: 0.36m
Engine: Noise-reduced two-stroke engine driving container. Landing is done with a
2 blade propeller parachute. The KZO's main objective is
Cruise speed: 220km/h to locate mobile threats and provide
Endurance: 4 hours
Sensor: stabilized forward looking infrared target locations for artillery. Two
Digital data recorder for 10 minutes of video data electronic warfare variants have also
Real-time datalink been developed as the Mücke
Navigation: inertial, location via datalink,
additionally GPS (not needed for operation) ("mosquito") and the Fledermaus
Stealth technology: Reduced visual, acoustic, ("bat").
radar and infrared signature
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >
General characteristics:
Length: 5 ft 8 in (1.7 m)
Wingspan: 9 ft 8 in (2.9 m)
Height: 2 ft 0 in (0.60 m)
Wing area: 6.1 ft² (0.57 m²)
Weight (Loaded): 28.9 lb (13.1 kg)
Powerplant: Modified Enya R120 model
aircraft engine, 1.74 hp (1280 W)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 90 mph (140 km/h)
Range: 1,875 miles (3,000 km)
Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,500 m)
Wing loading: 5 lb/ft² (23 kg/m²)
Power/Mass: 0.06 hp/lb (98 W/kg)
Aerosonde Mark
The Aerosonde is a small UAV
designed to collect weather data over
oceans and remote areas. The
Aerosonde was developed by Insitu,
and is now manufactured by Aerosonde
Ltd. The Aerosonde carries onboard a
small computer, meteorological
instruments, and a GPS receiver for
navigation. On August 21, 1998, an
Aerosonde completed a 2,031 mile
(3,270 km) flight across the Atlantic
Ocean at an altitude of 5,500 ft
(1,680 meters), and was the first UAV
crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and also
the smallest aircraft ever to cross the
Atlantic. Aerosondes have also been the
first unmanned aircraft to penetrate
tropical cyclones, during missions in
2001 and 2005.
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >
General characteristics
Length: 27 ft (8.22 m)
Wingspan: 48.7 ft (14.8 m)
Height: 6.9 ft (2.1 m)
Wing area: 123.3 sq ft (11.5 m²)
Empty weight: 1,130 lb (512 kg)
Loaded weight: 2,250 lb (1,020 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 2,250 lb (1,020 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Rotax 914F turbocharged,
four-cylinder engine, 115 hp (86 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 135 mph (117 knots, 217 km/h)
Cruise speed: 81–103 mph (70–90 knots, 130–165
km/h)
Range: >2,000 nm (3,704 km, 2,302 miles)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
RQ-1 Predator (USA)
The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is
described as a MALE (medium-altitude,
long-endurance) UAV system. It can
serve in a reconnaissance role and fire
two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The
aircraft, in use since 1995, has seen
combat over Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq, and Yemen.
The Predator system was initially
designated the RQ-1 Predator. The "R"
is the Department of Defense
designation for reconnaissance and the
"Q" refers to an unmanned aircraft
system. The "1" describes it as being
the first of a series of aircraft systems
built for unmanned reconnaissance. It
can fly 400 nautical miles to a target,
loiter overhead for 14 hours, then return
to its base.
 History of UAVs: 1990’s >
General characteristics
Length: 44 ft 5 in (13.54 m)
Wingspan: 116 ft 2 in (35.41 m)
Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)
Empty weight: 8,490 lb (3,851 kg)
Gross weight: 22,900 lb (10,387 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Allison Rolls-Royce
AE3007H turbofan engine, 7,050 lbf
(31.4 kN) thrust
Performance
Cruise speed: 404 mph (351 kn; 650 km/h)
Endurance: 36 hours
Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m)
RQ-4 Global Hawk
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global
Hawk is a surveillance aircraft,
Similar in role to the manned Lockheed
TR-1 spy plane. The Global Hawk can
collect high resolution Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR) and Electro-
Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor imagery
at long range with long loiter times over
target areas. The Global Hawk costs
about $35 million USD (actual per-
aircraft costs; with development costs
also included, the per-aircraft cost rises
to $123.2 million USD each). The GH
has a 116-foot wingspan, can sustain
flight operations for up to 32 hours,
allowing it to fly autonomously, collect
and transmit surveillance data at 65,000
feet, and then return to its base without
refueling.
 History of UAVs: The Future
The surveillance UAVs of tomorrow may evolve into MAVs, or micro aerial vehicles,
small spies so tiny they can take off and land in the palm of their operators' hands. A
number of nations are developing MAVs for surveillance use in the future.

Black Widow (USA)

Since 1986, AeroVironment Corporation
(with the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency) has been developing
micro UAVs for use in military
surveillance, law enforcement, and
civilian rescue efforts. The Black Widow
UAV, which has a six-inch wingspan and
weighs only two ounces, is
AeroVironment's award-winning MAV.
 History of UAVs: VTOL (Rotorcraft)
Most VTOL UAV history dates to the early 1960’s with a single exception of the
creation of the Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig in the 1950’s (although the TMR
was originally planned for manned operations). Some VTOL UAS development took
place in the early / mid 1960’s. Work progressed slowly through the 1970’s and
1980’s, but major VTOL UAV developments occurred in the 1990’s and through the
present.

VTOL UAV Development History

 History of UAV VTOL: 1950’s
Vertical Takeoff And Landing (VTOL) describes an aircraft which can take off and
land completely vertically. VTOL aircraft are useful for the reasons, including: No
Runway Requirements, Increased Portability, More Useful For Aerial
Photography and Videography.

General characteristics:
Length: 28 ft (8.53 m)
Wingspan: 14 ft (4.26 m)
Height: 12 ft 8 in (excluding pylon)
(3.86 m)
Empty weight: 6,000 lb (2,720 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,500 lb (3,400 kg)
Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Nene,
4,050 lbf (18 kN) each
Performance:
Thrust/weight: 1.08:1
Rolls-Royce TMR
The Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig
(TMR) UAV was developed in the 1950s.
The TMR used two Nene turbojet engines
mounted back-to-back horizontally within a
steel framework, raised upon four legs.
The TMR had no lifting surfaces (wings,
blades, etc.) and was nicknamed the
Flying Bedstead. The purpose of the rig
was to test turbojet engines and to
develop control techniques. Two Thrust
Measuring Rigs were built and the first
free flight by the TMR was made on 3
August 1954. The second Thrust
Measuring Rig was destroyed in 1957 but
the first is at the Science Museum in
London, England.
 History of UAV VTOL: 1960’s
Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH
(Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter)
General characteristics
Length: 12 ft 11 in (3.94 m)
Rotor diameter: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)
Height: 9 ft 8½ in (2.96 m)
Empty weight: 1,154 lb (524 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 2,285 lb (1,036 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Boeing T50-BO-8A turboshaft,
300 hp (224 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 80 knots (92 mph, 148 km/h)
Cruise speed: 50 knots (58 mph, 93 km/h)
Range: 71 nmi (82 mi, 132 km)
Service ceiling: 16,400 ft (5,000 m)
Rate of climb: 1,880 ft/min (9.6 m/s)
A drone helicopter built by Gyrodyne
Company for use as a long-range anti-
submarine weapon on ships that would
otherwise be too small to operate a full-
sized helicopter. The DSN-1 was
powered by a Porsche YO-95-6 72 hp
piston engine and carried one Mark 43
homing torpedo. The DSN-3/QH-50C
(last model in production, in which a
255 hp (190 kW) Boeing T50-4
turboshaft engine replaced the piston
engine and the payload was increased
to two Mk 44 torpedoes. Three hundred
and seventy eight QH-50C were
produced before production ended in
January 1966. Several are still used
today for various land-based roles.
 History of UAV VTOL: 1970’s
The 1970’s saw several VTOL UAV developments, such as the Bombardier
(Canadair) CL-227 Sentinel, but received little consideration due to their cost and
technical immaturity. Fixed wing UAVs were considered more mature platforms, and
had demonstrated their utility in combat.

CL-227 Sentinel
The CL-227 Sentinel was developed by
Bombardier's Canadair Defense
Systems Division (early version called
the Peanut; 1978) The CL-227 is a
remotely controlled helicopter with a
turbine engine driving a pair of co-axial
counter-rotating rotors. A successful
naval development was completed to
demonstration stage in 1992. The
General Characteristics:
System: Co-axial rotor Sentinel is roughly 6 feet tall, standing
Weight: 190 kg on four castered legs. Support vehicles
Payload: 45 kg include a flatbed pickup transporter with
Speed: 80 kts.
Endurance: 3 hours winch and launch platform, and a
control / communication van, each with
utility trailers.
 History of UAV VTOL: 1970’s

Westland “Wideeye”
Built in 1977 as a remotely piloted
observation helicopter, powered by two
Westland Weslake 2-stroke 2-cylinder piston
engines. The "Wideye" was a larger more
WG.25 "Mote"
sophisticated follow up to the "Wisp" with
coaxial rotors of 2.30m diameter, allowing
a gross weight of 125kg

Built in 1975 as an experimental remotely

piloted helicopter, and powered by two
Veeco two-stroke piston engines. The
WG.25 remotely piloted helicopter was a
private venture project, designed to prove
the basic concept for a radio controlled,
fully controllable helicopter that could be
used for surveillance purposes. In 1974
work began on a flying prototype which
was first flown in June 1975. Having
completed its trials program the WG25
was stored until joining a museum
collection in 1990.
 History of UAV VTOL: 1990’s
The 1990’s saw an explosion of VTOL UAV developments, such as those shown
below and numerous others. The needs came from the military, law enforcement
and, surprisingly, the movie industry; all required stable image collection, restricted
area operations (VTOL) and hovering capabilities.

Kamov Ka-137 Nanjing WZ-1 Bell “Eagle Eye”

Bombardier
CL-327 Guardian SAIC/ATI Vigilante Sikorsky Cypher
 History of UAV VTOL: 2000 >
Ducted Fan VTOL UAVs
Honeywell MAV ACTD Aurora GoldenEye Sikorsky Cypher

ODIN Mini-UAV Urban Aeronautics AirMule

Mamba UAV
 History of UAV VTOL: 2000 >
General Characteristics:
Length: 28 feet
Height:14 feet
Width: 6 feet
Empty weight: 1060 lb (480kg)
Gross weight: 2500 lb (1133 kg)
Payload: 1500lb (680 kg)
Endurance: 24 hours
Snark
Built by New Zealand-based
commercial helicopter manufacturer
TGR Helicorp, the Snark is constructed
mainly of Carbon Fiber and Kevlar, the
Snark is light and fast (280 km/h), quiet
(special rotor blades make it extremely
quiet ), virtually invisible to radar or
infrared detetection (it recycles its
exhaust gases and emits little heat) and
can carry a payload of 680kg, offering
firepower and surveillance equipment.
The Snark is the first UAV that runs on
diesel fuel. The Snark can stay airborne
for 24 hours at a time, offering an
unprecedented loiter time for a machine
of this capability.
History of UAV VTOL: 2000 >
Sikorsky
Mariner / Cypher
Sikorsky’s MARINER UAV was
developed in conjunction with General
Dynamics Information Systems. No
technical specifications of the
MARINER have been released. The
"Cypher" employs a ducted fan
consisting of two four-blade coaxial
rotors. A conventional wing provides lift
in forward flight, reducing the load on
the lift fan. The Cypher II/Dragon
Warrior is capable of carrying a 45 lb
payload to a station 100 nm away and
loitering for 2 hours. The all-composite
aircraft has a maximum gross weight of
100kg and a top speed of 230km/h. The
wings may be removed for applications
such as military operations in urban
terrain (MOUT), like its predecessor, the
"Cypher I".
 History of UAV VTOL: 2000 >
Dimensions:
Width: 91cm (36in)
Length: 85cm (33in)
Top Diameter: 99cm (39in)
Height: 25.4cm (10in)
Weight & Payload:
Helicopter Weight: 1,000g (35oz)
Payload Capability: 500g (18oz)
Maximum Gross Take-Off Weight: 1,500g
(53oz)
Flight Characteristics:
Max Climb Rate: 7m/s (23ft/s)
Max Descent Rate: 4m/s (13ft/s)
Max Turn Rate: 90°/second
Approx Maximum Speed: 50km/h (30mph)
Maximum Altitude ASL: 2,438m (8,000ft)
Maximum Flight Time: Approx. 20 min (without
payload)
Dragonflyer X6
The Draganflyer X6 is a remotely
operated, unmanned, miniature
helicopter designed to carry wireless
video cameras and still cameras. The
Draganflyer X6 helicopter uses a unique
6-rotor design refined from an original
concept that has been under
development since early 2006. The
Draganflyer X6 accepts multiple
interchangeable video camera and still
camera modules including: a 10.1 MP
digital still camera with 720p video
recording, 1080p HD video camera, low
light video camera, thermal imaging
video camera, micro color video
camera.
History of UAV VTOL: The Future

General characteristics
Length: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Wingspan: 17 ft 6 in (5.34 m)
Height: 4 ft 9 in (1.49 m)
Gross weight: 2,250 lb (1,020 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney
Canada PW200, 750 hp (560 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 345 mph (556 km/h)
Endurance: 4 hours
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
American Dynamics
AD-150
The AD-150 utilizes two wing-tip
mounted High Torque Aerial Lift (HTAL)
lift and propulsion systems to provide
the thrust needed to sustain and
transition between hover and forward
flight. The two HTAL systems are driven
by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW200 Turboshaft engine. The AD-150
will be ready to enter production in 2010
and could become operational by 2015
 Notable UAV Endurance Flights
UAV Flight time Date Notes
QinetiQ Zephyr
82 hours 37 minutes 28-31 July 2008
Solar Electric

Boeing Condor 58 hours, 11 minutes 1989 Currently at Hiller Aviation Museum, CA.

QinetiQ Zephyr
54 hours September 2007
Solar Electric
IAI Heron 52 hours ?
AC Propulsion Solar
48 hours, 11 minutes June 3, 2005
Electric
MQ-1 Predator 40 hours, 5 minutes ?
GNAT-750 40 hours 1992

TAM-5 38 hours, 52 minutes August 11, 2003 Smallest UAV to cross the Atlantic

Aerosonde 38 hours, 48 minutes May 3, 2006

38 hours, landed with 10-hour
I-GNAT ?
reserve
RQ-4 Global Hawk 36 hours ?

Aerosonde "Laima" 26 hours, 45 minutes August 21, 1998 First UAV to cross the Atlantic

TIHA 24 hours ?
Has not flown. Potential
Vulture (UAV) ? A DARPA project
endurance 5 years
 References
http://www.auvsi.org/AUVSI/AUVSI/Home/
http://www.aiaa.org/
http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/COMMITTEE/F38.htm
http://www.merlinis.com/
http://www.uavs.org/
http://uavcenter.com/index_e.asp
http://uvscanada.org/
http://www.modelaircraft.org/
http://www.brandes-assoc.com/UAS.html
http://www.spacewar.com/uav.html
http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/uav.htm
http://www.shephard.co.uk/
http://www.uvs-international.org/

Link to UAV Directory:

http://www.flightglobal.com/directory/search.aspx?navigationId=372&aircraftCate
gory=UAV&manufacturerType=UAV