One of the faster UAV helicopter platform in the world
Gross Weight1480 lbs.Empty Weight920 lbs.Fuel 50 gal.310 lbs.Useful Load250 lbs.EngineA 250 C20B 420 shpTop Speed318 mphCruise280 mphRate of Climb at SL5200 fpmAt 10,000 ft.3850 fpmEndurance2.4 hrsRange670 milesPower/Mass.283 hp/lbs. At max gross wt.Hovering Ceiling OGE19,500 ft.Auto PilotMP2128heli
Show New model speed will 318 mph
http://www.challis-heliplane.com/v3/uav.php
Comments
Could it be that a single rotor solution would be much less complex and much cheaper?
That's sort of my opinion on it too. It's an interesting concept, but it just doesn't seem like a great solution to the problem. It seems like a tandem rotor heli, or a coaxial is just a cleaner solution to the problem.
That's an interesting approach and it makes sense.
I guess I don't see what they're trying to do here. I feel like they're making something for a problem that doesn't exist. Great research, but if you're going to market something (and they clearly are), why not market something that actually has demand. Right now they've built a complex mess that other platforms generally just do better.
I looked at this thing a while ago. It's interesting, but I don't think it's the best solution to this problem. This makes more sense to me:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_X2
Or there was another one I've seen, can't remember the name, but it's a single main rotor, but with two anti-torque rotors. The AT rotors are mounted on the sides, not the back. They push in opposite directions in a hover, to counter torque. But in forward flight, they both push forward, just one side more than the other.
Correction, the site says 1 hour flight time, and it looks like they're using a lipo powered brushless on the front motor. Maybe the flight time works to be about the same, but I don't know why you would pick nitro over a gasser.