Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
The US Navy will test three entirely different unmanned-air-vehicle (UAV) designs in its forthcoming vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) demonstration, which the contractors hope will lead to the deployment of an operational system.
In late 1997, the UAV Joint Project Office chose Bell Helicopter, Bombardier and Science Applications International (SAIC), a US defence-systems-integration house, to participate in the USN-managed land-based VTOL fly-off. This is due to run between February and May at the Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona. Successful completion of the Yuma flights is expected to lead to selection of one company to take part in sea trials. Bell Helicopter and Bombardier were expected to participate, but SAIC's winning of a $1.8 million contract caused a surprise, with the contender offering a small, conventional, kit helicopter converted into a VTOL UAV dubbed the Vigilante.
As prime contractor, SAIC is teamed with Unmanned Rotor Systems, a company formed by Aerobotics, which manufactures flight-control systems, Virginia-based Advanced Technologies (ATI) and Newport News. Privately held ATI also owns a major stake in American SportsCopter, which manufactures the Ultrasport line of single- and two-seat sport kit-helicopters.
The SAIC bid is built around the largest kit-rotorcraft in the line, the $49,000 two-seat Ultrasport 496, which has been in production since May 1997. Flying with an 85kW (115shp) German-made Hirth two-cycle gasoline engine, the Vigilante, which incorporates a sleeker fuselage, will be powered by a heavy fuel engine within a year, allowing for greater endurance.
The SAIC-led team is also working under a US Department of Defense contract to demonstrate whether the Vigilante drone can be used to track ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, the industry team hopes to show the US Marine Corps how a low-cost unmanned helicopter can be used to supply troops operating ahead of regular supply lines, or in high-threat areas, says SAIC programme manager Jay Snyder .
Bell, which offered its Eagle Eye tilt-rotor drone, won a $2.1 million contract, while Bombardier was awarded $2 million in offering the improved CL-327 Guardian UAV. The CL-327 is the production version of the CL-227 Sentinel. The Canadian rotary-wing drone consists of an upper power module, a central propeller module and a lower payload module. It is powered by an uprated 93kW Williams WTS125 turboshaft.
Source: Flight International
