Boeing ScanEagle

Infobox Aircraft
name=ScanEagle


caption=A ScanEagle in its catapult launcher
type=unmanned aerial vehicle
national origin=United States
manufacturer=Boeing
designer=
first flight=June 20, 2002
introduced= 2005 (United States Navy)
retired=
status=
primary user=United States Military
more users=Australian Army
United Kingdom
produced=
number built=
variants with their own articles=

ScanEagle is a low cost, long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by Boeing and Insitu.

Design and development

ScanEagle is a descendant of another Insitu UAV, SeaScan, which was conceived of as a remote sensor for collecting weather data as well as helping commercial fishermen locate and track schools of tuna. ScanEagle emerged as the result of a strategic alliance between Boeing and Insitu. The resulting technology has been successful as a portable Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for autonomous surveillance in the battlefield, and has been deployed since August 2004 in the Iraq War.

ScanEagle carries an inertially stabilized electro-optical and/or infrared camera on a light-weight inertially stabilized turret system integrated with communications range over 100 km, and flight endurance of 20+ hours. ScanEagle has a convert|10|ft|m|0|sing=on wingspan and can fly up to convert|75|kn|km/h|0. Block D aircraft featured a higher resolution camera, a custom-designed Mode C transponder and a new video system. A Block D aircraft, flying at Boeing's test range in Boardman, Oregon set a type endurance record of 22 hours, 8 minutes. ["Boeing ScanEagle achieves major flight milestones", "Aerotech News & Review", November 23, 2006]

ScanEagle needs no airfield to deploy. Instead, it is launched using a pneumatic launcher designed as part of a university engineering design project, now patented by Insitu as the "SuperWedge" launcher. It is recovered using the "SkyHook" retrieval system, which uses a hook on the end of the wingtip to catch a rope hanging from a 30 to convert|50|ft|m|0|sing=on pole. This is made possible by a high-quality differential GPS units mounted on the top of the pole and UAV. The rope is attached to a shockcord to reduce stress on the airframe imposed by the violent stop.

Uses

The ScanEagle entered service with the U.S. Navy in 2005.cite web |url=http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q2/080606a_nr.html |title=Boeing Awarded Navy Contract for ScanEagle Services |publisher=Boeing |date=2008-06-06] In addition to the United States military, the Australian Army also operates the ScanEagle UAV. [ [http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/army/technology/ Army Technology/] , Defense Jobs of Australia] As well the Canadian Government announced in August 2008 that they would lease the ScanEagle for use of their military operations in Afghanistan. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/08/07/helicopters-military.html CBC News] , Canadian military acquiring new helicopters, drones]

On March 18, 2008 Boeing, with ImSAR and Insitu successfully flight-tested a ScanEagle with a Nano-SAR radar mounted aboard. The Nano-SAR is the world's smallest Synthetic Aperture Radar, weighs two pounds and is roughly the size of a shoe box. It is designed to provide high quality real-time ground imaging through adverse weather conditions or other battlefield obsurants. [ [http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q1/080318a_nr.html Boeing Flight-Tests 2-Pound Imaging Radar Aboard ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft] , Boeing, March 18, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.casr.ca/bg-mini-uav-scaneagle.htm "CASR" Illustrated Background Page - Updated: 07 August 2008]
* [http://www.insitu.com/scaneagle Insitu ScanEagle product page]
* [http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/scaneagle/index.html ScanEagle page on Boeing.com]
* [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2005/n01112005_2005011103.html DefenseLink article on ScanEagle deployment in Iraq.]
* [http://www.insitu.com/ Insitu home page, with links to pictures and video of ScanEagle.]
* [http://www.insitu.com/video.cfm?v=ScanEagle%20introduction%202006.mpg Video of ScanEagle takeoff and caputure.]