X-47B updates and news

November 29th, 2012   Filed under: combat uav, drone, northrop grumman, predator uav, uav airplane, uav predator, UAV related, uavs, ucav, unmanned airplane, x-47b Add Comment
uav northrop grumman
Navy version of the X-47B UCAV
Source: mail2web.com

Hey everyone, today I’m going to bring you some updates on the X-47B UCAV. The first successful shore based, or on carrier deck, trial of the X-47B was in early November. The goal of the U.S Navy and Northrop Grumman is to make the X-47B capable of being operated from a hectic aircraft carrier deck. Northrop Grumman’s UCAS-D test director, Daryl Martis, reported that the CDU’s capability of controlling the crafts thrust as well as other functions such as roll break and stop is crucial for its ability to be flown from deck. “It will allow us to move the aircraft quickly and precisely into the catapult for launch, or out of the landing area following recovery. Both of these activities are essential to maintaining the rhythm of the flight deck.” (Martis 2012).

For operational purposes the deck operator and the director will stand one behind the other as the director via hand signals indicates where the craft should be moved to as the deck operator uses the CDU to carry out these operations.  The first shore-based catapults are scheduled for later this month, this test should help to prove  the CDU’s performance in an accurate (carrier deck) environment.     

Sixton UAV system

November 27th, 2012   Filed under: Alpi Aviation, MAV, quadcopter, uav airplane, uav predator, UAV related, uavs Add Comment

The SIXTON UAV, produced by the Alpi Aviation, is part of the remotely piloted “MICRO” aircraft family.  It has the ability automatically take-off and land,being a Electrical Maneuvers Class VTOL UAS Unit, it has been built for Maneuverability and Special Operation support. Since the Sixton is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicle (VTOL) its has the capability with human surveillance to preforms take off and landing sequences autonomously. The system and its minimal operable configuration can be carried in a light weight back pack.
quadcopter
Example sixton quadcopter
The Sixtons can be assembled on the spot in no more then 5 minutes with a mission endurance of 30 minutes. Due to its easy transportability the entire system can be controlled by just one operator. Once in the air the flight can be modified on the go, interaction with the pay load allows it to have the ability to be flown during the day and at night with its night time pay load equipped with night vision through an IR camera.
The entire system consists of six brush less engines, perch and stare capability, continuous mission ability, virtually no noise, no visible cross section or recognizable radar, as well as the ability to operate up to 3 other systems at the same time. The Sixton was developed to aid short range tactical units. It has proved its self in unpredictable weather conditions, rough landing environment as well as limited training.

Aeryon Scout (The flying camera)

November 24th, 2012   Filed under: Aeryon, Aeryon Scout, MAV, micro, quadcopter, uav, uav airplane, UAV related Add Comment

uav quadcopterThe Aeryon Scout or the flying camera as it is so accurately named, was developed from 2007 to 2009 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. What sets the scout apart from other UAVs in its class is its design which was developed to allow it to operate consistently in harsh and unpredictable weather conditions. The craft has been recorded enduring wind speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph) and extreme temperatures ranging from -30°C to +50°C. Weighing in at less than 3lb and powered by four brush less DC motors and which has almost silent operation, The Scout has the ability to be operated beyond the line of sight at up to 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) away from the system, with an operational altitude of 300 to 500 feet and average flying speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour). Among other abilities the Scout requires no launch equipment and can hover in a fixed position for precise observation due to its vertical take-off and landing VTOL quad-rotor.

Length

80 cm (28.8 in)

Height

30cm (1 ft)

Loaded Weight

1.4 kg (3.1 lb)

Maximum Takeoff Weight

1.7 kg (3.74 lb)

Rotor Diameter

80 cm (28.8 in)

Propeller Diameter

30 cm (12 inch)

Cruise Speed

40 km/h

Maximum Speed

50 km/h (31 mph)

Range

3 km (2 mi)

Rate Of Climb

2 m/s (6 ft/s)

The Tablet PC-based interface system, that sets the Scout apart from other UAVs, differs from the standard method of joystick control allowing minimal training for operations of  the vehicle. Tablet PC-   allows the scout to be piloted by the user pointing to an area on the map that they wishes to fly to. Height is controlled  similarly with a scroll on the touch screen interface allowing altitude to be monitored. The scout can be flown real-time or pre-programmed to fly a series of GPS coordinates. With the ability to constantly monitor conditions, the Scout is able to make decisions on a course of action to take. The scouts built in intelligence allows for it’s return home, immediate landing, or to hover and wait. To prevent hijacking and video interception the scouts communications are digitally encrypted. The aircraft, as well as having a quick-change payload interface, is able to detect the type of payload it is  connected to, and configure and operate it accordingly.

Analyzing an advertisement

November 21st, 2012   Filed under: academic, college, predator uav, uavs Add Comment

Part of becoming a UAV operator involves taking various lower level academic courses. One of my courses involved analyzing an advertisement so today I bring you my essay!

How often do people see advertisements? More than likely they see them more than they want to. Advertisements provide a source of income for companies and they’re not going away any time soon. One type of advertising involves promoting organizations, such as the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). One of the main animals represented by the WWF is the panda. The panda is easy to market because of its cuddly and attractive appearance, which is much more appealing to consumers. Blue fin tuna, on the other hand, are ugly and not easily marketable. Although blue fun tuna are one of the most endangered species on the planet many people have no way of knowing.

The WWF uses an interesting way of portraying the blue fin tuna in their advertisement. The advertisement depicts a blue fin tuna with a panda mask edited over its head. This is meant to appeal to the emotional aspect of consumers. The advertiser also uses text placed within the image saying “Would you care more if I was a panda?” Utilizing text like this is meant to make the consumer think about the morality of caring more about something due to its “cuteness” rather than its population reaching dangerously low levels. Another idea utilized by the creator of the ad is the fact that news broadcasters show pandas much more often than blue fin tuna. Blue fin tuna just aren’t an appealing item to broadcast in order to make money.

Another utilized aspect of the advertisement is the color chosen. As stated by the Gorilla Ad agency “Blue stands for cool, trust, belonging, and reliability.” The entire advertisement is in a blue color with dim lighting, which is meant to imply the dim outlook for the blue fin tuna species. Since blue is meant to represent belonging there is some irony involved because the blue fun tuna are becoming extinct, instead of belonging in the habitat they’re supposed to be in naturally. Furthermore, the text inlaid in the picture makes one think twice about ignoring the ad, and even tugs on some “heart-strings.” Humans care more about pandas due to their appearance, blue fin tuna on the other hand are much uglier in appearance and not nearly as attractive to the majority of a population. The advertisement is set under the water where pandas don’t even exist, but blue fin tuna do. This further shows that blue fin tuna are not able to be seen plainly like pandas can be in an open zoo for example.

Overall, the advertisement used by the World Wildlife Foundation uses a combination of techniques to appeal to the reader of the print advertisement. Color plays an important role in the gravity of the situation; by using the color blue the consumer feels that the blue fin tuna should belong and not be extinct. The text inlaid in the advertisement is used to bring emotions out of the consumer and make them feel the unfairness to the blue fin tuna species by placing a panda mask on the fish. All the techniques used compliment the advertisement and help to prove the point that we can’t just overlook an entire species because it isn’t as cute as another species.

The advertisement I analyzed.
Image from WWF

Boeing’s Phantom Ray

November 12th, 2012   Filed under: airplane, boeing, phantom ray, uav, uav airplane, uav predator, UAV related, uavs, ucav Add Comment

         The Phantom Ray, part of Boeing’s Project Reblue, is a demonstrator aircraft which except for a select few engineers and executives was kept a secret, even within the company until May 2009. The stealth unmanned combat air vehicle was conceptualized in 2007 but not in full swing until in June 2008. May 10, 2010 The phantom ray was presented after which the aircraft was scheduled to complete, in 6 months, 10 test flights show casing its ability’s in mock scenarios such as  intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; suppression of enemy air defenses; electronic attack; hunter/killer; and autonomous aerial refueling. The Phantom ray made is first flight, after a series of delays, in  April 27, 2011.

UAV Boeing
Photo: Boeing
            The Phantom Ray has a length of 36ft (11m), a 50ft (15m) wingspan, its maximum take off weight is 36,500ib (16,556kg), with a maximum speed of Mach 0.85 and a cruising speed of 614mph (Mach 0.8), and has a range of 1,500mi (2,414km). Boeing first development for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy Joint-Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) programs was the X-45C prototype that the phantom Ray was modeled after. Its current status is Under development however Boeing suspects that  that the Phantom Ray will be the first of a new prototype aircraft series.