Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programmes and Composites Engineering have separately unveiled development programmes for new high-speed, low-cost, sub-scale target drones.
The Lockheed low-cost aerial target, or LCAT, made its debut flight in late 2005 and has flown 15 sorties to date. Four of those occurred 28-29 October, involving four demonstrator air vehicles.
The CEi system, designated Firejet, made its first flight 28 October with a second flight 30 October.
Both systems were unveiled 31 October at the US National Defense Industrial Association's annual UAV, targets and ranges conference held in Panama City, Florida.
Both companies are pitching the new drones at emerging US Army and Navy requirements for more capable subscale target systems, but are also anticipating the emergence of a significant international market for targets in the class.
Lockheed Advanced Development Programmes – better known as the Skunkworks - commenced development of LCAT in 2002 using internal funding, says programme head Michael Helke. He says the drone has thus far flown at speeds of 200-300kt for 60-90min.
The drone is powered by a single 50lb thrust turbine engine. The all composite airframe is some 10ft in length with a 6ft span, and is manufactured for Lockheed by the California-based Aeromech Engineering. Actual specification data is still to be released.
The drone wing has close visual parallels to the diamond configuration used for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter however Helke declines to comment on any associations between the two programmes. The drone has a flat-V tail, again suggestive of the F-22.
Launch is achieved using a Lockheed developed pneumatic catapult with a 30ft rail. Recovery is achieved using a parachute deployed from the upper fuselage. Helke says fully autonomous take-off and landing has been demonstrated as part of the already completed phases of the test-flight programme.
The current ground control system is an undisclosed commercially available system; however Helke says modifications are being considered to better match drone capabilities. Development of a proprietary control station may follow at a later stage.
Lockheed exhibited a one-third scale model of the drone at the Panama City exhibition, and played videos of systems in a variety of flight phases with imagery sourced from ground-based and air vehicle mounted cameras. Helke declined to identify the range used to conduct testing, however the videos showed large desert mountain ridgelines suggestive of the US Army's Yuma Proving Grounds.
The videos showed a drone performing high-speed, low-altitude, barrel roll manoeuvres, which Helke said were flown remotely rather than autonomously.
Alternative applications for the airframe are also being studied Helke says, potentially including a UAV derivative once the drone version is completed.
CEi used the NDIA show to exhibit an actual Firejet prototype. The delta-winged, single tail, all-composite drone has a span of approximately 2.5m with full specifications still to be issued.
The drone is powered by twin 45lb turbojets integrated into the aft fuselage in a side-by-side arrangement.
CEi senior vice president for business development Jeff Herro says the self-funded development programme commenced in early 2006 in anticipation of emerging US Army requirements.
The initial flight-test campaign, carried out at an undisclosed range in Nevada, saw prototypes fly at speeds as low as 115kt and as high as 300kt. The 30 October flight lasted over an hour and used only two-thirds of its onboard fuel store capacity of 15.5 US gallons. Herro says: “we think we can achieve two hours”.
The system uses a new pneumatic mobile launcher purpose-developed by CEi to support the system, with recovery either via belly-landing or parachute. The parachute system is based on re-use of a generic man-rated commercial solution as part of the overall cost reduction strategy.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
