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UAV Plans and Trends

UAV Plans and Trends. Facilities Assessment - Airborne Platforms Sub-Committee August 28-29, 2006 Boulder, CO. Will Bolton Sandia National Laboratories Livermore, CA. Suggested Discussion Topics. UAV Background Review of available UAV platforms Issues in UAV use Airspace

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UAV Plans and Trends

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  1. UAV Plans and Trends Facilities Assessment - Airborne Platforms Sub-Committee August 28-29, 2006 Boulder, CO Will Bolton Sandia National Laboratories Livermore, CA

  2. Suggested Discussion Topics • UAV Background • Review of available UAV platforms • Issues in UAV use • Airspace • Access to aircraft • DoD “Dual use” • NOAA • NASA • Commercial supplier (manufacturer or 3rd party) • Cost • Operational experience/insurance • Trends • Discussion

  3. Vietnam era Firebee photo drone Eddy’s Surveillance Kite 1898 InSitu SeaScan UAV Background Much of the impetus for UAV development has been military applications First use of unmanned photo reconnaissance during US Civil War (1863) Significant number of Firebee missions during Vietnam war Substantial Israeli experience in 1980’s Technology enabled much improved capabilities starting in about 1990 U.S. use increased during Balkans conflict (GA Predators flown from Italy) Dramatic increase following 9/11 in Afghanistan and Iraq Although more limited, examples of “civilian” applications include: AeroSonde - developed for atmospheric research (e.g., hurricane measurements) more recently limited use over the North Slope of Alaska and other locations SeaScan developed for fish spotting (although most applications have been the military SeaEagle version) Law enforcement (e.g., CyberBug) NASA ERAST development of Pathfinder, Helios, Altair… NASA-funded Altus demonstration flights NOAA/NASA Altair demonstration flights DOE ARM-UAV flight campaigns using Gnat 750, Altus I, and Altus II starting in 1993

  4. Note that not all of the listed aircraft actually exist! Summary of Current UAV Platforms There are many listings of “current” UAVs -- for example: http://www.uavforum.com/vehicles/capabilities.htm http://www.shephard.co.uk/UVonline/UVSpecs.aspx http://www.aiaa.org/images/PDF/WilsonChart.pdf Aviation Week & Space Technology, “Aviation Source Book 2006” Shephard “Unmanned Vehicles, Handbook 2006”

  5. Piston Rotary Turbojet Turbofan Battery/Electric Turboprop Summary of Current UAV Platforms A partial listing…

  6. Current UAV Ceiling/Endurance Options Data from: http://www.uavforum.com/vehicles/capabilities.htm

  7. Current UAV Ceiling/Payload Options Data from: http://www.uavforum.com/vehicles/capabilities.htm

  8. High altitude, long endurance aircraft options Helios Pathfinder + Maximum Altitude (ft) ER-2 Global Hawk WB-57 Proteus Altair Altus II Egrett Citation DC-8 Altus I P-3 GNAT 750 Twin Otter Endurance (hr) Piloted aircraft UAV

  9. Other UAV-related resources “Civil UAV Capability Assessment” draft September 2005; NASA POC: Cheryl Yuhas NASA/NOAA/DOE Collaboration on UAVs/UAS in Climate Change and Weather Research Office of the Secretary of Defense, “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Roadmap” “U.S. Naval Aerial Vehicles Roadmap” “The U.S. Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Strategic Vision”

  10. Issues in UAV use -- Access • Airspace access • UNITE/Access 5 • UVS International “Global Access Initiative” • Recent FAA action • RTCA standards activity (initially “sense and avoid” and command, control, and communication) • Center for General Aviation Research (UAS Detect, Sense, and Avoid; Regulation Study on Commercial UAS Vehicle Design) • Access to aircraft • DoD “dual use” (e.g., USAF Predators for disaster response) • NOAA fleet (?); NASA/NOAA/DOE Collaboration • Commercial supplier (manufacturer or 3rd party) • Access to RF spectrum • Autonomy and improved spectrum management help

  11. Occupied aircraft are mature and have well developed infrastructure Issues in UAV use -- Costs • Cost elements • Acquisition (airframe, ground station, payload, spares) • Operational (fuel, maintenance, staffing e.g, 3 for Proteus, Egrett, Twin Otter vs 6-7 or so for Gnat/Altus) • Payload integration (ca $100K-$250K) • Fixed/ground assets (moving away from “R/C model airplane” mode and toward more autonomy can reduce ground assets and staffing) • Transportation of aircraft, ground facilities, and personnel • Cost experience • Operational experience/insurance (“Altus-class” UAV experience resulted in $5K/flight hour for insurance about 10 years ago • Experience with existing “Predator-class” UAVs suggests operational costs of $10K to $30K/flight hour

  12. For complex scientific missions, the cost of the payload can equal or exceed the cost of the UAV Issues in UAV use -- Reliability • UAVs have had a reputation for lower reliability • Military legacy • Non-aerospace components and systems for low cost • “Single thread” designs • Reduced structural margins for improved performance • (esp. high altitude, long endurance) • Reliability is improving • Larger market enables more developed components • Increased use of redundancy • Improved designs and materials • The market demands improved reliability -- at affordable cost

  13. Some of this could be advantageous for civilian applications; however, costs may continue to be an issue Trends • Increased development funding by DoD (total funding approx. $1.6B FY06; $3.0B FY08) • Development directions by U.S. DoD • Larger and smaller • Stealth • Longer endurance • Perhaps higher altitude • Perhaps extreme endurance (e.g., airships) • UCAV • Optionally piloted combat aircraft • Adoption for DHS and law enforcement missions • Border patrol • Coast Guard (coastal security and environmental monitoring) • Disaster response (FAA process to approve USAF Predator flights)

  14. Global Observer Demo prototype 50’ wingspan SoLong 15.6’ wingspan, 25 lbs Trends (continued) • Although the majority of development funding is by DoD, there are important developments for other applications. For example: • Liquid hydrogen for long endurance - • AeroVironment “Global Observer” (demo flights at Yuma, AZ 5/26/06, 6/2/06) LH2 fuel, fuel cell, electric motors/propellers; full-scale Global Observer designed for 250’ wingspan, 65,000’, 1000 lb payload, 7 to 10 day endurance • Mission objectives: • Persistent, global, near-space loitering capability for defense and homeland security • Low cost, rapidly deployable telecommunications infrastructure and GPS augmentation • Hurricane/storm tracking, weather monitoring, and wildfire detection/support • Environmental monitoring, agriculture optimization, and aerial imaging/mapping • Boeing LH2 advanced concept (piston engine/propeller) • Advanced solar electric - • Microchip Technology “SoLong” solar electric, 48 hour flight, June 2005 extensive use of on-board processing to sense and control power system (9-phase motor controller, motor pulse shaping, battery monitor and control, solar cell output monitoring) • Continuing interest in “swarms” - will real applications emerge?

  15. Trends (continued) • Renewed interest in airships - • Lighter than air vehicles have been mentioned frequently - mostly plans at this point • Potential advantages are very long endurance and low cost: • Satellite UAV Airship • $/payload lb/hr $1,000-$4,000 $300-$1,000 $2-$5 • Two candidates currently being developed: Integrated Sensor as Structure (ISIS) High Altitude Airship (HAA) DARPA Solar electric/regenerative fuel cell 1 year endurance 70,000 ft altitude Prototype 2010; operational 2018 U.S. Army Missile Defense Agency 2,000 lb payload Solar electric/battery 6 month endurance 60,000 ft altitude Prototype in 2010

  16. G600 17 hrs endurance 65,000’ 2400 lb payload Proteus 1 built 10 hrs at 55,000’ White Knight 1 built G850 Strato 2C 1 built 8 hrs at 50,000 - 75,000’ Egrett 6 built 15 hours at 48,000’ Trends (continued) Special or limited production aircraft • Grob G600 optionally piloted aircraft • Based on Grob G180 business jet & • experience with Egrett and Strato 2C • Scaled Composites • Proteus, White Knight

  17. Trends (continued) Very Light Jets ? Adam A700 Diamond D-Jet Eclipse 500

  18. For now, UAVs should be used for missions needing their unique capabilities (human not at risk, long endurance) Summary of the UAV current situation • Substantial investment by U.S. DoD is driving development • High cost, designed for military applications • As UAV systems mature, there is the potential for reduced cost • There are many UAV systems now available from US and other countries for military and civilian applications (proper selection of UAV can help manage costs • Airspace access is an issue -- largely risk management • Operating rules (e.g., “see and avoid”) • Certification of airframes and operators • Perception of public and aviation community

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