SQ-4 Micro UAV

Today I introduce you to the SQ-4 Recon UAV. British company BCB unveiled this cutting-edge technology on October 16, 2012. This is another of those MAV (Miniature aerial vehicle) type quad-copters I’ve talked about in the past. With the small size of this UAV and its’ ability to fit in the palm of your hand it’s no wonder this UAV is making  news globally. BCB claims this UAV can fly up to 30 minutes on a full charge and can operate up to 1.5miles away from the operator. With 10 ultrasonic sonar modules it can maneuver in tight spaces and can even land on narrow perches out of the operators line of sight. With the motors stopped the onboard cameras can record 8 hours of live video before the UAV has to be recharged. In addition to all this the MAV has infrared LEDs allowing for stealth flight at night and recon in the dark.
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SQ-4 Micro UAV
Photo: bcbin.com
The SQ-4 can be operated by remote control with its onboard camera. An autopilot feature uses GPS for automatic navigation. BCB says it’s easy to fly and can be operated with little training. The UAV can also be configured to automatically return to its start point when the battery reaches 30%. The UAV has the ability to automatically hover at a set point during an emergency and if it is flipped or knocked off course while in operation it has the technology to correct itself. According to specifications the UAV weights about 10.2oz with its extended battery. The SQ-4 has an operation altitude up to 1,300 feet and can fly up to 15mph. At the beginning of the flight it emits a semi-loud 71db but it fades during flight. This is awesome new technology and I have no doubt this will soon become very prominent all around the globe.

Silverfox UAV (BAE systems)

I promised you some information on BAE systems Silver Fox UAV airplane and today I bring it to you! This UAV is capable of autonomous aerial surveillance imaging at a cost effective price. With the ability to carry sensor payloads of four pounds and being able to transmit real time video images directly to a ground station; this unmanned system has a lot going for it! A single ground station can operate up to ten units. The Silver Fox unmanned airplane system was originally developed by Advanced Ceramics Research and was later purchased by BAE in 2009. The airplane is powered by a gas/electric system and weighs about 30lbs. It has the ability to carry infrared and electro-optical systems giving it the capability to provide full-motion imagery for 24 hour surveillance. The UAV carries small payloads performs fully autonomous take-offs and landings. Supporting military operations for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance this UAV can do much more than one task.
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A Silver Fox UAV on a launching platform
Photo: baesystems.com
The Silver Fox is made of a modular structure and is powered by a small model airplane piston engine. The airframe has the ability to be equipped with wings of various sizes. This allows it to trade duration and payload weight for speed or weight carrying capacity. Normally launched by hand this UAV airplane also has the ability to be launched by a compressed-air launcher. GPS navigation is used to make this UAV airplane to fly full-autonomous missions of up to ten hours. The mission is pre-planned using the laptop computer employed in the ground control station. The GCS has a limitation due to its data-link being line-of-sight but ranges up to 20nm are possible. A typical altitude for the Silver Fox to fly its mission at is 500-1200ft above the ground. Ceiling limitation for the unmanned airplane is about 12,000 feet. Currently sensors for video imaging are equipped but with a payload capacity of 4 pounds anything is possible.
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Silver Fox UAV in flight
Photo: baesystems.com
Development of this unmanned airplane is still continuing, mainly in the field of new sensors to be used with the system. Sensors can include biological and chemical agent detectors. Another sensor being tested is an improved camera system with automatic recording capabilities, swiveling, and improved zoom abilities. When data recording is enabled the Silver Fox is expected to be able to fly automatic missions of up to 180 miles. The latest information I’ve found says that the new flight control system supports a fully autonomous “convoy reconnaissance” mode. In this mode the UAV automatically flies ahead of a control vehicle in the convoy. With future improvements including a diesel engine, the flight time could be increased all the way up to 20 hours. 

The EADS Barracuda unmanned combat airplane

I bring to you today some information on another reconnaissance and combat UAV airplane. The EADS Barracuda  is an European unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and is currently under development by the company EADS. This UAV airplane is intended for reconnaissance as well as combat. Germany and Spain have teamed up to develop this aircraft and add the UAV airplane to their military. The first development of the project was stopped after the first prototype crashed at sea while approaching for a landing during a test flight. The UAV airplane project resumed in 2008 with the second prototype finished in November, 2008. The rebuilt Barracuda went through a series of successful and promising test flights in Goose Bay, Canada during the middle of 2009.  Further tests of the UAV airplane continued in 2010 and 2012.
eads uav
Source: defencetalk.com
 The Barracuda unmanned airplane is in competition primarily with the Dassault nEUROn for defense contracts. Both UAV airplanes are designed with stealth in mind and have around the same top airspeed of Mach 0.85. Not too much is known about this UCAV due to the classified nature of the project  but speculation says that it will have a ceiling of about 20,000ft and will be able to carry a payload of 300kg.

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Comparison of UCAV types including the Barracuda, X-45a, X-47a, and the Sky-X
Photo: abovetopsecret.com
With a wingspan of 7.22m and a length of 8.25m and a weight of three tons this UAV airplane is classified as medium size. The engine is made by Pratt and Whitney Canada and produces a huge amount of thrust at 14kN. Room under the fuselage is left for addition sensors that may wish to be carried  for different applications of the unmanned combat airplane. The control systems for the UCAV are fly-by-wire, with the landing gear controlled by hydraulics. The Barracuda system was designed as a technology test bed with a modular structure and a interchangeable configuration. This should enable a wide variety of types of missions to be flown. 

Northrop Grumman Bat UAS (formerly KillerBee)

killerbee uav airplane
Photo: robotliving.com

Northrop Grumman has been working on a series of low flying unmanned aerial vehicles; they have named this project the Northrop Grumman Bat (formerly Swift Killerbee). They are being developed for the USAF, USMC, US Navy, and the US department of Defense. The Bat is capable of carrying a 30lb payload that is unmatched on UAV’s with a 10ft wingspan. In March of 2006 the Killerbee was test flown in Nevada by Swift engineering for the USAF where it met approval by their representatives. The partnership between Northrop Grumman and Swift Engineering ended in 2007 when Northrop Grumman took over the UAS family and introduced the Bat later in their development.

The UAS system only requires two people to fully operate the UAV. Advanced automation of the system makes operation easy. The UAV can be automatically recovered into a net. GCS software allows for reduced operator workload and thus less human error factor. The Bat UAV is launched into the air by a catapult, the functions of the catapult are monitored by the GCS software making user input less necessary. The airframe is made largely of high tech composites making the airplane extremely strong at a light weight. Bat systems with the current engine under development will be able to be in the air up to 15 hours at a time with a payload of 30lbs. Top speed of the Bat is 105 km/h. The Bat’s unique design gives it a lower visual and radar profile making it stealth-like. The payload consists of still-image and real time video-cameras. Also possible are EO/IR and SAR sensors, laser range finders and designators, infra-red cameras, communication equipment, and flare dispensers.

With the ability to carry a 30lb payload on such a small UAV there are a lot of possibilities for this aircraft in the future. Nothrop Grumman has picked up on a great project and I can’t even imagine the possibilities of this aircraft in the future with newer technology. This aircraft is also thought of something that could be used as a private security measure, border patrol, and to monitor local pipelines and electrical lines.

Aviation and extreme weather don’t mix


Weather plays a key role in aviation. Storms can completely change when your flight is available to leave and in extreme cases can cause serious damage to aircraft. Other types of weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, squall lines, and even the simple cloud can cause serious issues to the average VFR pilot. Clouds are the weather sign points in the sky after all. 

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Cumulonimbus cloud
Photo by Corbis Premium

Different types of clouds include altostratus, altocumulus, cirrus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, cumulus, towering cumulus, and the most dangerous type cumulonimbus. Cumulonimbus clouds are the most dangerous to aircraft due to their strong updrafts with gusts exceeding 100mph. Inside of these clouds are super-cooled water droplets which instantly freeze to an airplanes surface.

When an air mass moves out of its original region it is called a front. A front is basically a different temperature mass of air that moves into another area with a difference in temperature. Fronts are divided into warm and cold. A cold front is defined as a front that moves into displace warmer air. A warm front displaces cold air in the same way. When we have both cold and warm front collide we call it an occluded front.

Thunderstorms are said to be the most dangerous type of threat to aircraft. They can contain strong gusts, icing, hail, rain, lightning, and even tornadoes. Thunderstorms can be single-cell, multi-cell, or super-cells. In some circumstances thunderstorms can form in lines called squall lines. These are extremely dangerous to aircraft and should be avoided. Thunderstorms go through three stages: cumulus, mature, and dissipating. Most storms go through this entire cycle in as little as an hour. This doesn’t mean that other storms won’t form in the mean time.