BAE SYSTEMS' Next-Generation Vertical-Takeoff UAV Performs Flawlessly in Fully Autonomous Flight Tests.LOS ANGELES -- BAE Systems has achieved its first autonomous, untethered Unattached to any data or power source by wire or fiber; in other words: wireless. Contrast with tethered. flight of its third-generation ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle A powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload. . The company's vertical takeoff and landing Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) A flight technique in which an aircraft rises directly into the air and settles vertically onto the ground. Such aircraft do not need runways but can operate from a small pad or, in some cases, from an unprepared site. (VTOL VTOL n. A convertiplane that can take off and land vertically. [v(ertical) t(ake)o(ff and) l(anding).] VTOL vertical takeoff and landing ) air vehicle completed a course of 10 waypoints at BAE Systems' Southern California flight test facility. The seven-minute flight of the IAV IAV Interim Armored Vehicle (US Army) IAV Institute for American Values IAV Inventory Adjustment Voucher IAV International Association of Volcanology IAV Irradiance Average IAV International Authorized Version 2 ducted-fan air vehicle demonstrated a pre-programmed flight plan that included automatic takeoff, waypoint way·point n. A point between major points on a route, as along a track. navigation with multiple groundspeeds and altitudes, and loitering Loitering (IPA pronunciation: ['lɔɪtəˌrɪŋ] is an intransitive verb meaning to stand idly, to stop numerous times, or to delay and procrastinate. and automatic landing. The demonstration flight was achieved just 10 days after the air vehicle's first flight and was the 14th flight of the IAV2. Flights were conducted at temperatures of up to 109 degrees, equating to density altitudes approaching 7,000 feet, in winds of nearly 15 knots. Using a 22-inch-diameter fan with a nominal outside diameter of 37 inches, the Unmanned Vehicle (UAV UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle UAV Unmanned Airborne Vehicle UAV Uninhabited Air Vehicle UAV Urban Assault Vehicle UAV Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle (less common) ) is about 5 feet tall and has flown with simulated payloads of up to 25 pounds. "The IAV2 air vehicle is more capable than its IAV1 predecessor, allowing for longer endurance, increased range, higher service ceiling, a lower acoustic signature, and a greater payload capacity," said Tom Herring, vice president and general manager of Integrated Solutions for BAE Systems. "It is designed to operate in hover and forward wing-borne flight modes, the latter providing increased operational range and fuel efficiency. The wings can also be removed for urban operations that require increased maneuverability and a smaller airborne signature." BAE Systems developed the air vehicle as part of a company-funded research and development effort to design and demonstrate a family of ducted-fan VTOL UAVs. The ducted-fan design shrouds the fan, making it suitable for company- and platoon-level operations in which takeoffs and landings occur in close proximity to the war fighter. The success of the flight test program follows BAE Systems' VTOL design experience accumulated over the past several years. The IAV2 is currently undergoing payload integration for the future demonstration of a fully integrated system. BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery, and support of advanced defense and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea, and in space. The company designs, manufactures, and supports military aircraft, combat vehicles, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, and guided weapon systems. |
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