Unmanned Aviation Highlights of 2016

Turkey’s indigenously developed medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft, Turkish Aerospace Industries Anka, completed its first operational flight in February. The Predator-class UAV can carry a 440-lb. payload for 24 hr. at up to 30,000 ft.

The UK Defense Ministry ordered three Airbus Defense and Space Zephyr 8 solar-powered, high-altitude, ultra-long-endurance unmanned aircraft in February. With a wingspan of 82 ft. and an endurance of more than a month, the aircraft is 30% lighter and carries 50% more batteries than the record-breaking Zephyr 7. First flight is scheduled for mid-2017.

In March, France and the UK agreed to jointly spend €2 billion ($2.2 billion) on full-scale development of unmanned combat aircraft operational demonstrators by 2025. Following on from the £200 million ($280 million) Future Combat Air System joint feasibility study begun in 2014 and ending in 2016, the program is set to begin in 2017. 

Aurora Flight Sciences in March was chosen to build and fly the LightningStrike a distributed hybrid-electric propulsion high-speed vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aircraft, under a potential $89.4 million contract for Phases 2 and 3 of Darpa’s VTOL X-Plane program.

The United Arab Emirates ordered eight Piaggio P.180-based P.1HH Hammerhead medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft in a €316 million ($348 million) deal. Piaggio is owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, and the P.1HH is based on the Italian manufacturer’s P.180 Avanti business turboprop.

The French army selected Sagem’s Patroller tactical unmanned aircraft in April, ordering 14 aircraft. Based on the ES-15 platform developed from a Stemme motor glider by German company Ecarys, the Patroller can carry a 550-lb. payload for 20 hr. at 20,000 ft.

The FAA’s first rules for commercial operation of small unmanned aircraft systems, or drones—called Part 107—took effect in June. Part 107 limits drones to flying within visual line of sight of the operator, under 400 ft., in daylight, but provides waivers for expanded operations.

Northrop Grumman is to build a second Tern coaxial-rotor unmanned aircraft for DARPA under a June extension to its December 2015 contract to demonstrate the warship-based vertical-takeoff-and-landing endurance UAV. Tern is a tail-sitting flying wing. First flight is planned for 2018.

A full-scale prototype of Facebook’s Aquila stratospheric solar-powered unmanned aircraft made its 96-min. first flight from Yuma, Arizona, on June 28. The 140-ft.-span flying-wing is designed to stay aloft at 60,000 ft. for up to three months, providing broadband wireless internet connectivity to remote regions.

In September, Bell Helicopter unveiled the V-247 Vigilant tiltrotor it is proposing for an emerging U.S. Marine Corps requirement for a ship-based expeditionary endurance unmanned aircraft. With an 11-hr. time on station at 450-nm radius with a 600-lb. payload, the V-247 could be ready for production by 2023, says Bell. 

France, Germany, Italy and Spain signed a two-year definition study in September for a new joint medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system. Airbus Defense and Space is the lead company on the project, which also involves Dassault and Leonardo. Development is planned to begin in 2018, with a prototype first flight in early 2023 and first deliveries in the 2025 timeframe.

Airbus Group’s Silicon Valley outpost A³ in October unveiled the self-piloted, single-passenger electric air-taxi concept it is developing under Project Vahana. A full-size prototype is slated to fly at the end of 2017, to be followed in 2020 by a production-representative demonstrator.

Airbus Helicopters and French warship builder DCNS joined forces in October to develop an unmanned helicopter to meet the French navy’s requirement for a ship-based  naval UAV. The VSR700 is based on Guimbal Helicopters’ Cabri G2 light commercial helicopter.

Military small unmanned-aircraft manufacturer AeroVironment has entered the commercial drone market with the Quantix, a hybrid quadrotor that takes off vertically and transitions to wingborne flight to extend range. Deliveries are set to begin early in 2017.

India’s Rustom-2 indigenous medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft made its first flight on Nov. 17. Designated TAPAS 201, the 4,500-lb., twin-turbodiesel, 24-hr.-endurance UAV is being developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment with production by HAL and BEI.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems flew the type-certifiable Predator B for the first time on Nov. 17. The launch customer, the UK Defense Ministry, plans to buy up to 26 aircraft under a $1 billion program to replace its MQ-9 Reapers.