What's next for the Pentagon after the Replicator programme?
Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.
R22-UV UAS completes first full-scale test flight
UAVOS has completed the first full-scale test flight of the R22-UV helicopter converted to a UAS, the company announced on 29 April.
During the flight, all scheduled tests were performed including fully automatic take-off, en-route flight and landing. Tuning of UAS control settings was completed as well. The flight, with duration of more than one hour, was fully self-piloted reaching a height of up to 2200ft.
Autopilot, servo drives, sensor system and additional backup power supply were installed into an R22-UV. During the conversion, the aircraft electrical system was upgraded, manual control was removed and the fuselage was altered. The pilot seats were also removed and replaced by additional fuel tanks.
Next, the aircraft will be tested for cargo delivery in automatic mode. Flights with duration of more than six hours using additional fuel tanks and a payload for monitoring the land surface are also planned. The operational limitations of the UAS will also be checked during night flights and flights under severe weather conditions. The possibility of using spraying equipment to use the R22-UV for agricultural purposes will also be tested.
The unmanned R22-UV helicopter is powered by a gasoline engine and is able to deliver cargo or carry payload with a total weight of up to 330lb with a maximum take-off weight 1400lb. The converted aircraft has ceiling of 13,780ft and has a top speed of 189kph. The UAS is designed to carry high-precision, heavy professional equipment 88lb for a wide variety of missions. The UAS can also carry Lidar, SAR, heavy optical equipment and gas analysers.
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