California-based Tactical Aerospace Group (TAG) has won a $2.8 million deal to supply "a minimum" of 14 unmanned air vehicle helicopters to Rotor F/X, a company that provides scale rotary UAVs to the television and film industry.
The deal, believed to represent the largest non-military sale of UAVs in the USA, includes the supply of spares, maintenance and flight training over two years and includes an option for an additional 12 UAVs. TAG says the package includes four piston, four turbine and six twin turbine helicopters in various configurations with two to five bladed rotors.
Rotor F/X supplies scale helicopters as small as 1:7 and as large as 1:3 for television and film production, and its contract with TAG includes the supply of several composite fuselages. TAG says the UAVs "use a special airframe designed for media production to accommodate the installation of a wide variety of different fuselages". The production company can use one airframe on location, but have the flexibility to duplicate different rotary aircraft, quickly changing from one helicopter style to another.
Source: Flight International
