Speciality manufacturer Oregon Iron Works (OIW) has demonstrated autonomous water landings with a seaplane unmanned air vehicle developed under contract to the US Navy. The Sea Scout UAV could be deployed by a fast, stealthy, special-operations boat, the Sealion 2, that OIW is building for the navy.
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| Sea Scout's laser-radar sensor allowed the UAV to land autonomously |
The initial “Spiral 0” vehicle completed two autonomous water landings in early May using a laser-radar sensor to measure wave height and determine the optimum landing trajectory, says programme manager Josh Pruzek. The UAV is equipped with auto-landing avionics supplied by Geneva Aerospace. The vehicle is designed to take off and land in wave heights up to sea state 3, he says.
The 3m (10ft)-span all-composite vehicle weighs 135kg (300lb), including an 11kg simulated payload, and is powered by a 35hp (25kW) Wankel engine. Portland-based OIW is now designing a Spiral 1 vehicle, with longer wingspan, revised hydrodynamics and an electro-optical/infrared sensor turret on the nose that will be used for military demonstrations at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland in the first quarter of next year.
Source: Flight International
