Introduction
In the thirteen century, Chinese invented
gun powder and used them to launch rockets in the battlefield. The rockets had
little or no control and followed a ballistic trajectory. At that time, it was
a powerful weapon to eliminate enemies. On the other hand, the modern definition
of aircraft refers to an object that must generate aerodynamic lift and can be
controlled. In turn, the kite would probably fit the definition of the first
UAV. In 1883, Douglas Archibald attached an anemometer to the line of a kite
and measured wind velocity at altitudes up to 1,200 ft. He also attached
cameras to kites in 1887, providing one of the world’s first reconnaissance
UAVs (Fahlstrom & Gleason,
2012) .
AQM-34
Ryan Firebee (Pre- 1970s)
During Vietnam War, one of the most
popular military UAVs was AQM-34 Ryan ‘Firebee’, they were deployed mainly for
reconnaissance missions. The air vehicles were usually air launched from
C-130’s and recovered by parachute (Fahlstrom & Gleason, 2012). Early
versions were programmed to fly a pre-programmed route and take
still-photographs. More than 1,000 AQM-34 Ryan ‘Firebee’ flew in excess of
34,000 operational surveillance missions over Southeast Asia during the war,
deploying from Japan, South Vietnam, and Thailand. They flew daytime and
nighttime surveillance, leaflet-dropping missions, and surface-to-air missile
radar detection over North Vietnam and southeast China. (Lloyd, 2016). The
‘Firebee’ was radio controlled and flown within the range of line-of-sight.
Following are the general characteristics
and performance specifications of Firebee (Global Security, 2016) :
·
Crew: None
·
Length: 22 ft 10 in (7.00 m)
·
Wingspan: 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m)
·
Empty weight: 1,500 lb (680 kg)
·
Gross weight: 2,500 lb (1,135 kg)
·
Power plant: 1 × Continental J69-T-29A,
1,700 lbf (7.6 kN) each
·
Maximum speed: 710 mph (1,140 km/h)
·
Endurance: 1 hours 15 min
·
Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
Predator
(Current)
With the advancement of technologies and
satellite navigation, UAVs can fly long distances from their bases, loiter for
extended periods to perform surveillance functions. They are designed to carry
weapons in significant quantities. Currently, the ‘Predator’ is the most
popular military UAV manufactured by General Atomic. Currently, the unmanned
aircraft are deployed by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, NASA, the Royal Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the French Air
Force, and the Spanish Air Force for intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance missions (General Atomic Aeronautical, 2016).
The size of MQ-1 Predator A is larger than
a light single-engine private aircraft with following specifications:
·
Wingspan of 17 m (55 ft)
·
Length of 8 m (26 ft).
·
Ceiling: 7,620 m or 24,521
ft
·
Cruising speed: 220 km/h (119 knots)
·
Internal payload of 200 kg (441 lb)
·
External payload (hung under the wings) of
136 kg (300 lb)
The predator provides real-time
surveillance using high-resolution video, infrared imaging, and synthetic
aperture radar. Moreover, it achieves longer endurance about 40 hours and
remains
on station for 24 hours, 925 km (575 mi) from the operating base. The GPS and
inertial systems provide navigation, and the control is via satellite (Fahlstrom
& Gleason, 2012).
Conclusion
The development of UAV in the future is encouraging
in view of the advancement of communication technology utilizing satellite. The
system enable two-way communications and control beyond line-of-sight. The
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology provides accurate and precise
location and position of unmanned vehicle systems. The target or destination
can be programmed accurately in order to fly from one waypoint to another. More
powerful and affordable micro-controller enable complex tasks and maneuvering
pattern possible. Current micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) found in
gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and accelerometers have
dramatically revolutionize the industry. Also, the development of lithium polymer battery,
which provides larger capacity and longer endurance widen the future frontier
of UAVs.
Reference
Fahlstrom, P. G., & Gleason, T.
J. (2012). Introduction to UAV Systems. West Sussex: John Wiley &
Sons Ltd.
General
Atomic Aeronautical. (2016, July 02). Predator B RPA. Retrieved from
http://www.ga-asi.com/predator-b
Global
Security. (2016, Aug 13). AQM-34N Firebee. Retrieved from
http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/aqm-34n-specs.htm
Lloyd, P. A. (2016, 8 12). The Use of
Drones During The Vietnam War. Retrieved from
http://peteralanlloyd.com/general-news/the-use-of-drones-during-the-vietnam-war/
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