EADS Harfang
| EADS Harfang | |
|---|---|
 Harfang on the ground |
|
| Type: | MALE - reconnaissance drone |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
September 9, 2006 |
| Commissioning: |
June 2008 |
| Number of pieces: |
4th |
The Harfang ( French for snowy owl ), formerly called Eagle 1 , is a version of the IAI Heron procured by the French Air Force in small numbers . As with the initial sample from Israel Aerospace Industries , it is a drone in the Medium Altitude Long Endurance category , which in German means roughly medium altitudes and long flight times. The system, equipped with reconnaissance equipment from EADS and Thales , was used by the French armed forces in Afghanistan and at Opération Serval .
history
The Harfang is a military reconnaissance system that was developed as part of the French Système Intérimaire de Drone MALE ( SIDM ) procurement program . It had its maiden flight on September 9, 2006; the testing took place at the base air force base aérienne 125 Istres -Le Tubé .
The first drones of this type were delivered to the French Air Force in 2007 . On June 3, 2008, the system, consisting of three aircraft and two ground stations, was officially adopted by the French armed forces. At the beginning of 2009, the mission began in Afghanistan at Bagram Air Base . One of the drones crashed in late March or early April 2009.
The drones were operated by Escadron Drones 01.033 "Belfort", which is based at the Cognac-Châteaubernard military airfield . They were decommissioned in early 2014 and Morocco has expressed an interest in taking them over.
Technology and operation
As with the original Heron 1, the Harfang also has the characteristic wings of high aspect ratio with very low sweep , which increases endurance and altitude at the expense of high speeds. The drive was not changed and is provided by an 86 kW (115 PS) Rotax 914 , which drives a pusher propeller. Compared to the original sample, only the fuselage was externally extended by 80 cm to accommodate the changed sensor equipment. The total length is now 9.3 m.
Take-offs and landings are fully automated. The flight takes place according to a pre-programmed route, whereby the Air Vehicle Operator (AVO) and Payload Operator (PO) sitting in a ground station can intervene in the flight control at any time. Alternatively, it can be controlled manually.
payload
The payload, which is limited to a maximum weight of 250 kg, basically consists of the same components as in the original model: A synthetic aperture radar roughly in the middle under the fuselage and a gyro-stabilized electro-optical reconnaissance pod under the bow of the fuselage. In contrast to the initial sample, however, the sensor system is not scaffolded by the manufacturer IAI, but by EADS in France. Most of the components come from Europe, including from Thales.
Eagle 2
When the Harfang still carried the name Eagle 1 , the idea arose to build a further development under the name Eagle 2 . This variant would have been significantly larger in order to be able to carry considerably more extensive reconnaissance equipment. A turboprop engine of 900 kW (1200 PS) would have been used as the drive , which would also have significantly improved flight performance. The project, which was very similar to the further development of the Heron to the Heron TP realized by IAI , will no longer be pursued. Compared to the American models, the Eagle 2 would have been in the performance range of the General Atomics MQ-9 , while the Harfang is only in the performance class of the General Atomics RQ-1 Predator .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Harfang / SIDM / Eagle 1 | Eagle 2 (planned) |
|---|---|---|
| length | 9.3 m | 13 m |
| span | 16.6 m | 26 m |
| Drive type | Four-cylinder piston engine | Turboprop |
| Drive model | Rotax 914 | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A |
| power | 86 kW (115 PS) | 900 kW (1200 hp) |
| Altitude | 7,620 m | k. A. |
| Service ceiling | 9,150 m | 13,700 m |
| Top speed | > 200 km / h | > 400 km / h |
| Duration of use | > 24 h | > 20 h |
| Maximum take-off mass | 1150 kg | 3600 kg |
| Maximum payload | 250 kg | 450 kg |
| Runway length | approx. 600 m | k. A. |
See also
literature
- Flugrevue . Motor-Presse Stuttgart November 2006 and August 2008
- C. Müller: Airplanes of the World , Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2006
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Exclusif: les drones français arrivent au Sahel. Secret défense, January 16, 2013, accessed January 17, 2013 .
- ^ Franz Bucher: Innovative UAV systems. (PDF; 3.3 MB) (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on September 16, 2012 ; Retrieved January 21, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Armée de l'air: Harfang, opérationnel en Afghanistan. Retrieved January 21, 2010 .
