MICHAEL PHELAN / LONDON
Smiths Aerospace is developing a manoeuvrable hose-and-drogue aerial refuelling system for Boeing's 767 Tanker Transport, as it aims to satisfy the US Air Force's requirement for autonomous refuelling of unmanned air vehicles by 2008.
Boeing and Smiths are collaborating on 767 autonomous refuelling technology for UAVs, with Boeing focusing on boom-based applications and Smiths concentrating on adapting traditional hose-and-drogue techniques.
Bob Dawson, Smiths Aerospace business development manager for the 767 tanker programme and derivative aircraft, says the company is working on new methods of drogue stabilisation and drogue manoeuvring to ensure connection with a UAV. "Traditional drogues tend to dance and making a connection relies on the experience of the receiving pilot," he says. "Most companies are looking at a smart probe [on the receiving aircraft] to find the drogue; we're looking at a smart drogue to find the aircraft," he says.
Dawson says Smiths is building a scale model of its proposed advanced drogue "for windtunnel testing in the next few months". Aerial tests of the full-scale system are planned for next year, he says.
Dawson says the stabilisation aspect of the drogue development would be retrofittable to current hose and drogue equipment flying on McDonnell Douglas KC-10s and some Boeing KC-135s, and that the full suite would allow refuelling of several UAVs at once.
Southampton, UK-based Smiths subsidiary Hamble Structures will supply the wing pylons for the 767 Tanker Transport under an initial $2 million contract. Delivery of the first set of pylons is due by mid-2004 for the first Italian air force 767. Smiths was earlier contracted to supply the complete refuelling system for the aircraft, including the wing refuelling pods, centre line hose drum unit and associated computing. Smiths says the latest contract could be worth more than $50 million over 20 years.Source: Flight International
