ScanEagle UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
 
 
ScanEagle UAS UAV unmanned aerial vehicle system data sheet specifications information description intelligence identification pictures photos images US Army United States American defence industry military technology
 

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Description
ScanEagle® unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is a low-cost solution with a small operational footprint that delivers high-quality imagery for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). ScanEagle, developed in partnership with Boeing, is currently in service with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Australian Defence Force, and other allied foreign militaries. Challenging weather conditions, unprepared terrain, and shipboard operations are easy with Insitu’s pneumatic catapult launcher and unique SkyHook® recovery system. Aircraft launch and recovery are performed safely and autonomously on land and at sea without a net or runway. In April 2004, ScanEagle made the first autonomous launch and recovery for fixed-wing UAVs aboard the 58-foot fishing boat, Shackleton. In July 2004, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded the Boeing/Insitu team a contract to provide two ScanEagle mobile deployment units. In August 2004, ScanEagle completed the longest flight ever recorded by a UAV launched and retrieved at sea -- 16 hours and 45 minutes. During the record-setting flight, it did aerial surveillance of sea conditions and ships in Puget Sound, Wash., waters, demonstrating the type of mission anticipated for shipboard operations. Deployed to Iraq the same month with the First Marine Expeditionary Force, it operated as a forward observer to monitor enemy concentrations, vehicle and personnel movement, buildings, and terrain.
 
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Technical data
 
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Design
The UAV is based on Insitu's SeaScan miniature robotic aircraft and draws on Boeing's systems integration, communications and payload technologies. It carries either an electro-optical or an infrared camera. Both are inertially stabilized. The gimbaled camera allows the operator to easily track both stationary and moving targets. ScanEagle vehicles can operate individually or in groups to loiter over trouble spots.
Mobility
The ScanEagle is powered by a tail-mounted two-stroke gasoline-fueled off-the-shelf model aircraft engine. The ScanEagle, a joint development with Boeing, uses technology from combustion system specialist Sonex Research, to covert the UAV's 2.5hp (2kW) single-cylinder, two-stroke 3W-28 gasoline engine to burn jet fuel. The ScanEagle , which currently runs on automotive gasoline and which has demonstrated a maximum endurance of 22h, performed a flight of 28h 44min on 17 January at the company's facilities in Bingen, Washington.
Accessories
A standard ScanEagle unmanned aircraft (UA) carries a high-resolution electro-optic (EO) or infrared (IR) camera on a lightweight, inertially stabilized turret system. With communications range of over 55 nautical miles (100 km) and endurance of 24+ hours, the ScanEagle UAS is a versatile platform. Because the aircraft is completely modular, critical components can be swapped quickly in the field to ensure that ScanEagle is mission-ready.
Combat use
Because of its light weight and small system footprint, the ScanEagle UAS has low personnel requirements—only two operators are necessary. Insitu’s aircraft control software is user-friendly, and advanced automatic object-tracking technology greatly reduces operator workload. ScanEagle needs no airfield for deployment. Instead, it is launched using a pneumatic launcher designed as part of a university engineering design project, now patented by Insitu as the "SuperWedge" launcher. It is recovered using the "SkyHook" retrieval system, which uses a hook on the end of the wingtip to catch a rope hanging from a 4,5 to 15 m pole. This is made possible by a high-quality differential GPS units mounted on the top of the pole and UAV. The rope is attached to a shock cord to reduce stress on the airframe imposed by the abrupt stop. The four-foot-long ScanEagle system can provide more than 15 consecutive hours of "on-station" coverage and can operate in harsh weather environments, including high winds and heavy rains -- conditions that can keep other UAVs on the ground. The ScanEagle's internal avionics bay allows seamless integration of new payloads and sensors and ensures the vehicle will be able to incorporate the latest technology as it becomes available.
 
Specifications
 
Type
Light Reconnaissance and surveillance unmanned aircraft system
Country users
United States
Designer Country
United States
Accessories
high-resolution electro-optic (EO) or infrared (IR) camera
Crew
1
Altitude
5,944 m maximum
a
Weight
20 kg maximum take-off
Speed
25 m/s
Endurance
24 hours
a
Dimensions
Lenght, 1,37 m; Wingspan, 3,11 m;
 
 
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ScanEagle UAS UAV unmanned aerial vehicle system data sheet specifications information description intelligence identification pictures photos images US Army United States American defence industry military technology
 
ScanEagle UAS UAV unmanned aerial vehicle system data sheet specifications information description intelligence identification pictures photos images US Army United States American defence industry military technology
ScanEagle UAS UAV unmanned aerial vehicle system data sheet specifications information description intelligence identification pictures photos images US Army United States American defence industry military technology
   
ScanEagle UAS UAV unmanned aerial vehicle system data sheet specifications information description intelligence identification pictures photos images US Army United States American defence industry military technology ScanEagle UAS UAV unmanned aerial vehicle system data sheet specifications information description intelligence identification pictures photos images US Army United States American defence industry military technology
 
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