First details have emerged of a new family of unmanned air vehicles designed by scientists and students from the Mobile Systems Research Laboratories and Institute of Computing Science at Poland's Poznan University of Technology.
To be suitable for military and civilian tasks including surveillance, border patrol and vehicle identification and tracking, the systems are expected to support a 2013 demonstration of Poland's indigenous Proteus system. This will provide instant situational awareness during emergency situations, allowing efficient management of rescue activities.
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© Poznan University of Technology and Bartosz Glowacki |
Designs include the 40kg Rarog (left) and the mini Burzyk (right) |
The Rarog has a maximum take-off weight of 40kg (88lb), and could carry an SGO Z electro-optical turret, plus either intelligence-gathering equipment or even weapons using its two under-wing pylons. Some preliminary aerodynamic testing of the has been conducted with mock-ups of light air-to-surface missiles.
Propulsion comes from a piston engine and pusher propeller, with the composite air vehicle having a length of 2.86m (9.4ft), a 5.84m wing span and hydraulically retractable landing gear. Cruise speed is 54kt (100km/h) and endurance 12h.
The smaller SP-1B Zuraw has a fixed landing gear and T-tail, and three examples of the 30kg aircraft have made test flights. The piston-powered UAV has a 5.4m wing span and 81kt maximum speed, but matches the Rarog's cruise and endurance performance.
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© Poznan University of Technology |
Three examples of the Zuraw have already flown |
Its payload comprises an electro-optical/infrared sensor with a laser rangefinder and vehicle identification and tracking capabilities, with autonomous ground taxiing possible using the camera and an on-board mission computer.
The smallest design is the Burzyk mini UAV, which has a length of 1.64m and a 2.5m wingspan. The electric-engined aircraft can be transported in a rucksack and launched by hand or catapult, and offers an endurance of 4h carrying an electro-optical sensor. Speed is cited as 43kt and cruise altitude 3,280ft.
Additional reporting by Grzegorz Sobczak
Source: Flight International
