Des UAVs et UCAVs d'Italie

[Invité Rob]

Je vous presente, le SKY-Y.  =D

Finmeccanica Adds New UAV to Roster at Paris

By TOM KINGTON, PARIS

Finmeccanica unit Alenia Aeronautica is displaying at the Paris Air Show the mock-up of a new UAV it is developing, dubbed the Sky-Y. A working version was rolled out in Turin, Italy, on June 10 in Turin and will fly by end June.

Considered a operational demonstrator for MALE technologies, the Sky-Y joins

Alenia’s Sky-X, with which the firm is developing technologies and experience to contribute to the European Neuron UAV program.

The Sky-Y will be built entirely from carbon fiber material and use diesel propulsion technologies derived from automotive standards, which Alenia believes will minimize fuel burn, keep operational costs low, maximize performance at high altitude and exploit the availability of jet fuel.

The Sky-Y will be used to test an in-house flight control system using software from Alenia Aeronautica subsidiaries Alenia SIA and Quadrics, data links from Finmeccanica unit Selex Communications and sensors from Finmeccanica unit Galileo Avionica.

The platform will also be used to test technologies set to be used on the Molynx, a larger, civil MALE UAV also under development, as well as in a military MALE which Alenia has yet to launch, but envisages flying higher and longer than a Predator B.

Sky-Y preliminary data

Length: 9.7 m

Wing Span: 9.9 m

Empty Weight: 850 kg

Fuel: 200 kg

Payload: 150kg

Take-off max weight: 1200 kg

Total Power: 200 HP

Cruise Speed: 140 kts

Cruise Altitude: 25,000 ft.

Endurance: 14 hours

Range: 500 nautical miles

Link.

http://www.defensenews.com/paris/story.php?F=2839741

Il y aussi le Sky-X.

Et le Molynx.

Et le Falco.

Et le part italien en le Neuron.

[European]

L'Italie est leader dans les domain UAV/UCAV et il y ont bcp de projet in solitaire et in partnership.  =D

Le Falco est en train de prendre le vol par le pont du Cavour.

[Fusilier]

Actuellement elle a quoi comme drone (UAV/UCAV) l'armée italienne?

[European]

Actuellement elle a quoi comme drone (UAV/UCAV) l'armée italienne?

Bcp des anneè. il me semble la 1er in EU a user des UAV, l'armeè italienne a in service 6  RQ-1 Predator (achetè in 2001) , deja in service in Iraq (2005) et in AFghanistan. 5 de 6 Predator ont etè construit in Italie sous licence US.

Un Predator a etè perdu.

[Neuron]

European: je suis content de voir que l'Italie a investi dans les drones... mais quand j'entends "leader" en Europe... ;/

La France et l'Allemagne ont commencé à utilisé des drones subsoniques dans les années 80..., il y'a déjà plus de 20 ans... sans compter tous les types de drones entrés en service dès lors...

Enfin avec le programme Neuron, et le programme Tartaris britannique... comment dire... les leaders, ils cohabitent des deux côtés de la Manche...

[Sidelfi]

Il a pas dit leader en Europe mais leader tout court.

C'est pas pareil.  :cool:

[Invité Rob]

Tartaris britannique

Taranis.  =D

En ce moment, l'Italie fait beaucoup (Sky-X, Sky-Y, Molynx, ca. 20% en Neuron, Falcon, etc...). Mais, je veut voire s'il fait l'autonomie qui, je pense, n'est pas en le Sky-X en moment. En tout cas les Italiens peuvent etre "proud" (francias?) de leur industrie.

Alenia prepares to fly Sky-Y UAV

By Peter La Franchi

Alenia Aeronautica is preparing to fly its new Sky-Y medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) at Sweden's Vidsel test range while a full-scale mock-up will be displayed at the Paris air show.

SKY-Y

The entry-level MALE has been designed for the civil marketplace and is intended to act as a half-scale flying risk-reduction system for Alenia's Molynx top-end MALE development programme.

It will also act as a stepping stone towards the planned development of a new blended wing body military MALE system with internal weapons bays optimised for close air support missions.

That UAV, currently designated Black Lynx, would be in the Predator B class, with Alenia officials describing it as a "market making" platform in its own right.

Black Lynx: "a market making platform" in it's own right

The all-composite Sky-Y prototype uses a modified 9.9m (32.5ft) light sports aircraft wing with twin tail booms extending from the wing. Total length is 9.7m. The aircraft nose houses a 76cm steerable satellite communications antenna. Both the demonstrator and the mock-up being exhibited at Paris incorporate a cranked nose probe housing air data sensors for the flight-test campaign.

Wind tunnel testing for the configuration was carried out in October last year ahead of manufacture of the demonstrator. Final assembly and fit out was carried out at Alenia's Caselle plant outside Turin.

Sky-Y is expected to cruise at 20,000ft with an endurance of 14h and a cruising speed of 140kt (259km/h). The UAV is now powered by a 200hp (150kW) Fiat automotive diesel engine fitted with a single-stage turbocharger.

Follow-on development plans for the demonstrator incorporate the replacement of that engine by a 250hp, 2.4 litre variant of the same Fiat engine, but fitted with a two-stage turbocharger. That development effort is being carried out in collaboration with the Italian Diesel Jet company, with the new plant expected to raise its cruise ceiling to 35,000-40,000ft.

The Sky-Y demonstrator currently has a maximum take-off weight of 1,200kg (2,640lb), including a 150kg sensor payload and 200kg of fuel.

Molynx is planned to have an endurance of 6h with a 25m span, with a first demonstrator expected to fly in 2009. Alenia's existing Sky-X unmanned combat vehicle demonstrator is due to resume flight testing later this year in Italy.

Link.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/06/18/214654/alenia-prepares-to-fly-sky-y-uav.html

[European]

European: je suis content de voir que l'Italie a investi dans les drones... mais quand j'entends "leader" en Europe... ;/

La France et l'Allemagne ont commencé à utilisé des drones subsoniques dans les années 80..., il y'a déjà plus de 20 ans... sans compter tous les types de drones entrés en service dès lors...

Enfin avec le programme Neuron, et le programme Tartaris britannique... comment dire... les leaders, ils cohabitent des deux côtés de la Manche...

1- J'ai dit leader et pas le leader de l'Europe (certain reves nous ne l'avons pas). C'est vrai, Finmeccanica et un des acteurs leader du marchè europeènne.

2- Quoi Tu parle, quel UAV a etè in service actif in France dans les ans '80????

Si Tu parle d'experiment, aussi l'Italie en a fait bcp, mais in service actif reèl???

Alenia prepares to fly Sky-Y UAV

By Peter La Franchi

Alenia Aeronautica is preparing to fly its new Sky-Y medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) at Sweden's Vidsel test range while a full-scale mock-up will be displayed at the Paris air show.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

The entry-level MALE has been designed for the civil marketplace and is intended to act as a half-scale flying risk-reduction system for Alenia's Molynx top-end MALE development programme.

It will also act as a stepping stone towards the planned development of a new blended wing body military MALE system with internal weapons bays optimised for close air support missions.

That UAV, currently designated Black Lynx, would be in the Predator B class, with Alenia officials describing it as a "market making" platform in its own right.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

The all-composite Sky-Y prototype uses a modified 9.9m (32.5ft) light sports aircraft wing with twin tail booms extending from the wing. Total length is 9.7m. The aircraft nose houses a 76cm steerable satellite communications antenna. Both the demonstrator and the mock-up being exhibited at Paris incorporate a cranked nose probe housing air data sensors for the flight-test campaign.

Wind tunnel testing for the configuration was carried out in October last year ahead of manufacture of the demonstrator. Final assembly and fit out was carried out at Alenia's Caselle plant outside Turin.

Sky-Y is expected to cruise at 20,000ft with an endurance of 14h and a cruising speed of 140kt (259km/h). The UAV is now powered by a 200hp (150kW) Fiat automotive diesel engine fitted with a single-stage turbocharger.

Follow-on development plans for the demonstrator incorporate the replacement of that engine by a 250hp, 2.4 litre variant of the same Fiat engine, but fitted with a two-stage turbocharger. That development effort is being carried out in collaboration with the Italian Diesel Jet company, with the new plant expected to raise its cruise ceiling to 35,000-40,000ft.

The Sky-Y demonstrator currently has a maximum take-off weight of 1,200kg (2,640lb), including a 150kg sensor payload and 200kg of fuel.

Molynx is planned to have an endurance of 6h with a 25m span, with a first demonstrator expected to fly in 2009. Alenia's existing Sky-X unmanned combat vehicle demonstrator is due to resume flight testing later this year in Italy.

http://www.flightglobal.com

[DEFA550]

il me semble la 1er in EU a user des UAV, l'armeè italienne a in service 6  RQ-1 Predator (achetè in 2001) , deja in service in Iraq (2005) et in AFghanistan.

Et le drone "Crecerelle", il est Italien ?  :lol:

[European]

Et le drone "Crecerelle", il est Italien ?  :lol:

????

Desoleè je ne le connait pas.  =|

[Fusilier]

Années 80 c'est un peu exagèré. Le premier Drone c'est le CL 289  (+/- 1990) c'est un engin fr. Alle. si je ne me trompe pas; c'est un drone "fusée" de 400 km de rayon (A/R)  et environ 700km. Ensuite en  95 nous trouvons le Crecerelle (+/- 270 km/h)  ailes delta et helice....

En 2006 est rentré en service le SDTI, c'est un Crecerelle amélioré.... Ceci pour l'Armée de Terre

Pour ça part l'Armée de l'Air à mis en oeuvre des Hunter, à partir de 95 je crois,  ces Hunter devraient être aujourd'hui remplacés par des SIDM  (je en sais pas on s'en est exactement)

http://www.defense.gouv.fr/dga/content/download/43758/437041/file/le_systeme_interimaire_de_drones_male_sidm_sidm.pdf

sur le CL 289

http://www.namsa.nato.int/gallery/ws_drone_f.htm

sur le Crecerelle

http://www.ixarm.com/Architecture-industrielle,11294

En projet l'Euromale et le Neuron.....  Il était question dans un rapport du Senat de drones HALE mais achetés sur étagère....

http://195.186.72.31/index.php?id=5559

Nb je donne les années d'entrée en service évidemment

[Invité Rob]

@European. C'est un UAV francais qui a vendu bien et ............... qui est base sur un "Target Drone" britannique de Meggitt.  =D

The French Sagem firm also produced a medium-sized UAV, derived from the popular Meggitt Banshee target, known as the "Crecerelle" ("Kestrel" or "Sparrowhawk"). Its configuration is much like that of the Banshee, with a pusher prop, a clipped delta wing, and a single tailfin, though its fuselage is more cylindrical. It is powered by a 20 kW (26 hp) rotary engine and has no landing gear, being recovered by parachute and airbags. The Crecerelle saw action with French forces during the Kosovo campaign in 1999. Meggitt sells much the same machine as the "Spectre".

Link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Battlefield_UAVs_(1)#French_UAVs:_Mart.2C_Crecerelle.2C_.26_Sperwer

[European]

Bien,

alor chapeau pour le passeè.

[Fenrir]

J'ai separé la discussion en deux, ici on parle des UAV et UCAV italiens passé, présent et à venir.

[Invité Rob]

Bon pour l'Italie!

Paris Air Show

Agreement signature

On the 19th of June, Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation and SAAB announced their intention to join forces for the next generation European MALE UAV Surveillance System.

The agreement was ratified at Alenia Aeronautica's which will lead the project.

Link.

http://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/aviation/paris-air-show-2007/illustrated-news/european-male-agreement.html?L=1&cHash=7d5391cba9

[SpongeBob]

Entre le watchkeeper et ça, ça fait beaucoup à encaisser je trouve.

[Philippe Top-Force]

L'Italie est leader dans les domain UAV/UCAV et il y ont bcp de projet in solitaire et in partnership.  =D

Le Falco est en train de prendre le vol par le pont du Cavour.

Today at Le Bourget Air Show in Paris, Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation and Saab AB have signed a Letter Of Intent to expand and intensify their cooperation to the MALE UAV System (Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Air Vehicle). 

This strategic cooperation addresses the trend of increased UAV use in defence, civil and commercial applications, and especially on the growing market demand for the MALE UAV systems solutions. 

“With the success of the nEUROn cooperation and our overall history and proven track record of aerospace achievements, we recognise our companies as the apparent team to provide a European MALE UAV System meeting the current and future European needs”, said the CEOs of Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation and Saab AB.

[European]

Premier vol pour le Sky-Y:

http://www.dedalonews.it/it/index.php/06/2007/esclusivo-le-immagini-del-primo-volo-dello-sky-y-di-alenia/

[Invité Rob]

Bon! Le Sky-Y est peut-etre un "mini" Global Hawk.  =D

[Tiger]

Quelle est le rayon d'action du Falco ?

[Philippe Top-Force]

Le patron de la DGA, François Lureau, a annoncé qu'un accord préliminaire a été signé au Bourget entre la France et l'Allemagne, auxquelles se joindra l'Espagne. Le programme est évalué entre 500 millions et 1 milliard d'euros.

La France, l'Allemagne et l'Espagne ont finalisé un accord portant sur le développement d'un projet de drone d'observation, qui devrait être opérationnel à l'horizon 2014, a déclaré ce vendredi à Reuters François Lureau, délégué général pour l'armement français. L'accord préliminaire a été signé au salon aéronautique du Bourget entre la France et l'Allemagne, l'Espagne devant le parapher en juillet.

Le contrat sur ce projet de drone volant à haute altitude, baptisé "Advanced UAV", sera notifié au groupe européen EADS qui devra présenter d'ici un an les solutions techniques adaptées, en association avec le groupe français d'électronique de défense Thales et l'espagnol Indra . "Nous sommes au début d'un vrai programme européen qui, à l'horizon 2014, proposera aux armées de ces trois pays une véritable solution opérationnelle, performante et économique et qui donnera à l'Europe son autonomie", a souligné François Lureau.

Le contrat portant sur les études préliminaires dites de "réduction des risques" représente une somme d'environ 60 millions d'euros alors que le programme lui-même est évalué entre 500 millions et 1 milliard d'euros en fonction des besoins précis qui seront exprimés d'ici là par les trois pays, a-t-il ajouté. Ce projet, s'il aboutit, mettrait fin à plusieurs années d'errements en Europe pour développer un tel avion sans pilote, système permettant aux armées de mener à bien des missions d'observation comme de frappe de cibles sans mettre en danger un pilote.

EADS a en effet mis fin récemment à un partenariat signé il y a quelques années avec Dassault Aviation pour développer ce même type de drone. Dassault Aviation, qui n'est pas associé au projet "Advanced UAV", s'était déclaré vendredi dernier prêt à développer un projet concurrent de drone "Male Moyenne Altitude longue endurance", en se basant soit sur une nouvelle plate-forme, soit sur une plate-forme dérivée d'un drone israélien conçu par la société IAI. Son président, Charles Edelstenne, avait affirmé avoir conclu un accord de coopération en ce sens avec Thales qui est resté pour sa part très évasif sur le sujet.

Pour la Délégation générale pour l'armement (DGA), organisme dépendant du ministère de la Défense, ce type de drone est tellement sensible qu'il n'est pas envisageable de dépendre sur le plan technologique d'un industriel non-européen comme IAI. "Il nous semble que sur des sujets aussi stratégiques, l'Europe doit être capable de fournir des technologies critiques", a déclaré François Lureau. "Jusqu'à ce jour, je n'ai aucune proposition formelle de Dassault. Je suis tout à fait prêt à regarder si Dassault a des propositions à fournir", a-t-il ajouté, soulignant que le constructeur aéronautique n'avait pas souhaité jusqu'à présent s'associer au projet piloté par EADS.

EADS prévoit deux versions de cet avion sans pilote qui seront utilisées pour des missions de surveillance et de reconnaissance à une altitude de plus de 10 kilomètres

[Invité Rob]

Plus de Finmeccanica. On voit aussi qu'il y a une tres bonne cooperation britannique-italien.  =) Un peu comme AgustaWestland.

Finmeccanica builds integrated UAV business

By Peter La Franchi

With technologies such as Galileo Avionica's Falco UAV, Finmeccanica has become a driving force in European unmanned systems development

See Flight's Falco cutaway

For almost a decade, unmanned systems development in Europe has been dominated by initiatives coming out of France, Germany and to a lesser extent Sweden and the UK. But over the past two years, the centre of gravity for the sector has quietly tilted towards Italy, with the Finmeccanica group emerging as one of the most highly integrated unmanned systems houses on the continent.

Finmeccanica has systems in production or under development in almost all sectors of the market with the exception of rotary wing and, for the short term, the high-altitude long-endurance classes. In the medium term, the group's technology roadmap includes plans for demonstrator systems up to the HALE category by 2013-14, leveraging work on its first medium-altitude long-endurance demonstrator, the Alenia Aeronautica Sky-Y, which was unveiled at last week's Paris air show. A more capable MALE UAV, designated Molynx, is due to fly in 2009.

Galileo Avionica is halfway through delivering 16 Falco large tactical UAVs to an undisclosed international customer

Finmeccanica's ascendency has at its core the combined UAV activities of its Alenia Aeronautica and Galileo Avionica subsidiaries, the latter firm making up the Italian arm of Selex Sensors & Airborne Systems.

At group level, co-ordination arrangements for unmanned systems have Alenia Aeronautica taking responsibility for airframes and systems integration in the HALE, MALE and unmanned combat air vehicle categories. Galileo Avionica is primarily responsible for air vehicles and systems integration in the tactical classes, as well as imaging sensor and radar payloads, and avionics. Selex Communications is the repository for group datalink capabilities. The only UAV competency not currently available within Finmeccanica, says Galileo Avionica deputy director general Gianpiero Lorandi, is propulsion systems.

INTERNATIONAL AMBITIONS

Alessandro Amendola, head of advanced projects at Alenia Aeronautica, says the wider interest of Finmeccanica in the UAV sector is directly linked to its international ambitions in the defence and aerospace market. That strategy is acknowledged as being aggressive on the aerospace side, he says, with its five-year targets including major growth in the US domestic market.

Amendola says the UAV focus also mirrors a desire for the overall group to shift its focus from manufacturing to systems, an objective particularly pertinent to Alenia Aeronautica's specific aspirations for unmanned systems. "In Alenia we are deploying a complete strategy both in terms of business and technical analysis. We have established the common grounds of critical technologies around the pillars of which we are building a family of products that can stimulate the market. We must be quick because there will be some open windows in the next short years and we want to catch those windows."

Alenia is pursuing two product families within the overall unmanned systems sector, says Riccardo Barzan, head of technology demonstrators and chief technology officer for research, technology and innovation. "One is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance family," with the Sky-Y the first example on the path to a full HALE capability, while "in the longer term it is the combat unmanned air system", he says.

The company has identified 48 technology "bricks" it considers necessary to the future of the UAV market, Barzan says, with the use of demonstrator systems a key element of maturing those to technology readiness level of 6 to allow for release to the market. In the case of the Sky-Y, the demonstrator is intended to support Alenia's plan to have the Molynx MALE UAV ready in 2010-11, a timeframe that Amendola says is expected to mark a major turning point in the shape of the civil UAV market.

Alenia heads Finmeccanica's involvement in the Dassault-led Neuron European UCAV demonstrator programme, but has been flying its own Sky-X demonstrator for two years. The Sky-X will evolve into a significantly more advanced tailless design in the near future, Barzan says.

There is strong potential for close overlap between the MALE and UCAV development paths, says Barzan, with jet propulsion and weaponisation both potential nexus points in the future. In the immediate term, the Sky-X and Sky-Y programmes have given rise to a new-generation universal ground control station, also publicly displayed for the first time at last week's Paris show.

Alenia is also studying a purpose-designed low-observable military MALE platform spun off from the civil-focused Sky-Y and Molynx systems, and optimised for close air-support and strike missions. The proposed UAV has the working name Black Lynx, says Barzan, and would have a blended wing-body configuration with twin diesel engines and internal weapons bays. "It has broad potential for other applications. We start with a MALE or a MALE-plus with capability to grow to cover other roles. This kind of configuration has better growth potential," he says.

FOCAL POINT

Galileo Avionica is the Finmeccanica group's historical focal point for UAVs. Formed in 2000, it includes the former Meteor, which has a history of involvement in the target drone market with established commercial services operations for a variety of NATO and non-NATO countries. Earlier this year the company secured a key order from India for a turnkey service arrangement seen as an important stepping stone for expansion of its activities in the segment. The deal followed selection last year of the company's Mirach 100/5 as the primary target for the UK's Combined Aerial Training System programme, with two production lines now in place at the Ronchi dei Legionari plant near Trieste.

The target drone market is seen as a key element of Galileo's ongoing business outlook, with investment in systems development continuing. The company is working on further derivatives of its Mirach 100 series, with a Mirach 100/X now being defined. This will feature higher subsonic speed and increased endurance. Work is also under way on a potential supersonic air-launched version of its Locusta mini-target drone. "There is a gap. There is nothing on the market," says Vincenzo Nicolosi, Galileo Avionica's UAV and simulators business unit director.

Galileo Avionica also has one of Europe's few active production lines for a large tactical UAV with low-rate manufacture of 16 Falco air vehicles continuing for an undisclosed international customer. The company is currently halfway through deliveries.

NEW PAYLOADS

More advanced Falco capabilities are being developed, says Nicolosi, including the exploration of winterisation of the platform. The UAV also provides a focal point for the development of new payloads by Galileo Avionica and Selex Sensors & Airborne Systems. These include a new lightweight electro-optical/infrared sensor turret in the 20kg (44lb) class, which would allow Falco to carry more than one payload at a time the PicoSAR miniature synthetic-aperture radar and a new hyperspectral sensor for tactical and MALE UAVs.

Galileo Avionica is also working on a new version of the Gabbianno maritime surveillance radar, says the firm's UAV product line manager Maurizio Facchin. The T20 variant will weigh 43kg, allowing it to be flown on the Falco for an extended period, he says, with integration studies already conducted. The radar will include synthetic-aperture and inverse synthetic-aperture modes, and ground moving-target indication capability.

Selex Sensors & Airborne Systems was established in May 2005 following the takeover by Finmeccanica of its former avionics joint venture with BAE Systems, and was used by the group as a focal point to explore the lower tiers of the military and paramilitary tactical UAV market.

Galileo's Lorandi says soon after the new company was established a dedicated UAV working panel was set up with representatives from the UK and Italy to assess opportunities and technology gaps at both a broad Finmeccanica level in terms of its overall UAV roadmap, and within Selex Sensors & Airborne Systems. That panel played a key role in overseeing the final stages of Falco development, he says, particularly in terms of how the UAV's evolution could be shaped to meet rapidly emerging military market requirements that led to the export order for Falco.

The same panel process helped expand the potential operational capabilities of the Falco by exploring how sensor technologies resident in the UK arm of the company could be transitioned into the development effort. "We went through a product capability roadmap and tried to determine which one of the two would have responsibility," Lorandi says.

That led to the decision to give the UK operations responsibility for opening up the small and mini-tactical market via a fast-track development effort in collaboration with Italy-based UAV research company UTRI. This resulted in the unveiling in February of three new electric-powered mini-UAV systems under the designations Asio, Otus and Strix, all using the same ground control station.

Asio is a ring-wing vertical take-off and landing air vehicle with an endurance of 35-60min, while Otus is a hand-launched fixed-wing UAV designed for close-in operations. Strix is a modular catapult-launched flying wing intended for use by special forces, with its development also supported by the Italy's Alpi Aviation. The UAV has a ceiling of 10,000ft (3,050m) while carrying a 1kg electro-optical payload.

David Lazarus, head of ISTAR and UAV marketing at Selex Sensors & Airborne Systems UK, says the Strix has already secured a launch order from the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency on behalf of an alliance member state. He says a fourth small tactical system being developed by the UK company will make its public debut in the UK at the Parc Aberporth UAV air show on 10-11 July.

The new UAV is a small vertical take-off and landing vehicle that uses a combined propulsion and lift system. "In many respects it is similar to the way [the BAe] Harrier operates. It has a motor and a fan at the front and for its vertical take-off and hovering operations it virtually sits on four columns of air," he says. "The difference between this and the way Harrier operates is that each of the four nozzles operates independently, so it has very smart avionics on board." This means the new UAV will be "wind-gust resistant. It will resist attempts to move itself laterally," says Lazarus.

TRANSIT SPEED

Once airborne the UAV will transition to forward flight using conventional wings. "Once it has taken off the nozzles swing back. It has a very high transit speed, in the order of 150kt [280km/h], which is pretty quick," Lazarus says. An electric-powered subscale demonstrator of the new UAV - with a span of around 1m - has been flying since early April in hover mode, he says. Further flight trials including transition are planned from September at the Parc Aberporth range, with the demonstrator to be converted to a gasoline engine for the trials.

The final production air vehicle is expected to have an empty weight of 100kg and an endurance of 5-8h. "The intention is to be able to operate it in areas where you would not normally be able to operate vehicles of this size, for example taking off and landing from a ship that is powering through the water," Lazarus says. The UAV would also be effective in an urban canyon environment, he says. "It is quite different from anything else being developed and has a huge number of advantages".

Link.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/06/26/215159/finmeccanica-builds-integrated-uav-business.html

Ici un autre article.

Link.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/02/27/212285/idex-2007-selex-sensors-reveals-mini-uav-systems-family.html

[Invité Rob]

Le Asio VTOL UAV

[European]

Le ASIO est un project tres interessant.

Il resemble un vieux project italien :

@Robert

Tu as des info sur le futur helicopter UAV de AgustaWestland a Yeovil?

[Invité Rob]

Tu as des info sur le futur helicopter UAV de AgustaWestland a Yeovil?

Je n'ai pas entendu de ca!  =D Peut-etre tu peut me dire plus?