Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) plans to develop a fuel-cell-powered tactical unmanned air vehicle as a concept demonstrator for the possible longer-term development of fuel-cell-powered seven-day-endurance high-altitude UAVs.
According to Shlomo Tsach, director of flight sciences at IAI, the company is discussing the fuel-cell tactical UAV technology demonstrator concept with the Israeli ministry of defence. A demonstrator could fly as early as 2006.
The proposed UAV would be in the 500kg (1,100lb) class with a payload capacity of 90kg and a loiter time of 16h. It would have a maximum ceiling of 40,000ft (12,200m) and have an operational radius of 150km (80nm).
Speaking at the conference, Tsach said design work on the concept demonstrator is near completion. "The timetable is that it will fly in 2006 [but] it depends on the resources we get."
He says a major advantage of fuel-cell propulsion would be reduced air vehicle noise. "Acoustics are very important today with anti-terror warfare."
The concept demonstrator, he says, would provide a testbed for exploration of more capable fuel-cell-powered UAVs. IAI earlier this year unveiled concepts for two seven-day endurance aircraft - the HA310 and HA315 - based on fuel-cell propulsion.
IAI is also exploring a 6,000kg conventional turbofan-powered high-altitude, long-endurance UAV intended for civil applications. Designated the HA-50, the mainly composite UAV would have 36h endurance at 60,000ft.
Tsach says the HA-50 would be powered by two tail-mounted engines, each generating 3,000lb thrust (13.4kN). The UAV would also incorporate a large open belly payload bay to accept a variety of modular payloads, including synthetic aperture radar.
Source: Flight International
