ScanEagle UAV
ScanEagle® (UAS) is a low-cost, short-range solution that delivers high-quality imagery for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. Developed in partnership with Boeing, ScanEagle is currently in service with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Australian Defence Force and other allied foreign militaries. The aircraft can be launched and recovered safely and autonomously over land and sea without the need for a net or runway.
Classification: Light reconnaissance and surveillance unmanned aircraft system.
Design: USA
Accessories: high resolution electro-optical (EO) or infrared (IR) camera
SPECIFICATIONS
GVW: max 20 kg
Altitude: 5,944 m maximum
Length: 1.37 m
Wingspan: 3.11 m
Crew: 1 operator
The ScanEagle, which currently runs on gasoline and has demonstrated a maximum endurance of 22 hours, completed a 28-hour, 44-minute flight on January 17 at the company's facility in Bingen, Washington.
Due to its light weight and small system footprint, the ScanEagle UAS has low personnel requirements — just two operators are needed. Insitu’s user-friendly aircraft control software and advanced automatic object tracking technology significantly reduce operator workload. The ScanEagle does not require an airfield to deploy. Instead, it is launched using a pneumatic launcher. It is recovered using the “SkyHook” recovery system, which uses a hook at the end of the wingtip to catch a tether suspended from a 4.5 to 15 m high mast. This is made possible by a high-quality differential GPS unit mounted on top of the mast and the UAV. The tether is attached to a shock absorber to reduce stress on the airframe from sudden stops. The 4-foot-long ScanEagle system can provide more than 15 hours of continuous “spot” coverage and can operate in harsh weather conditions, including high winds and heavy rain – conditions that can keep other UAVs grounded. The ScanEagle’s internal avionics bay allows for seamless integration of new payloads and sensors, ensuring the vehicle can incorporate the latest technology as it becomes available.
The ScanEagle is powered by a tail-mounted, gasoline-fueled two-stroke model aircraft engine. ScanEagle, a joint development company with Boeing, used technology from combustion systems specialist Sonex Research to mask the UAV's 2.5hp (2kW) single-cylinder 3W-28 gasoline engine to burn jet fuel.