General Atomics Gnat 750
| General Atomics Gnat 750 | |
|---|---|
|
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| Type: | Unmanned aerial vehicle |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
General Atomics , developed by Leading Systems |
| First flight: |
Mid-1989 |
The General Atomics Gnat 750 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone, UAV) manufactured by the “Aeronautical Systems” department of the US manufacturer General Atomics and developed by Leading Systems Inc. (LSI) in the 1980s. The best-known further development of the Gnat 750 is the MQ-1 . The name "GNAT" can be seen as an abbreviation of the company name GeNeral ATomics.
history
The Gnat 750 is based on the Leading Systems Amber , a small, multi-purpose, high-performance UAV that made its maiden flight in 1986. After LSI had to give up the development of the Amber because of the discontinued financing by DARPA , the company tried to obtain orders from abroad with a simplified export version. In this version, known as the Gnat 750, less complex avionics and simpler reconnaissance systems were used. Either an LSI's own KH-800T or a freely available Rotax engine could be used as the drive. The first pre-series machine of the Gnat 750 flew for the first time in mid-1989.
In 1990 LSI had to file for bankruptcy and General Atomics (GA) took over the production facilities. In 1993 the department "Aeronautical Systems Inc." was founded there, which was led by the former Navy pilot Tom Cassidy. GA also took over a contract with Turkey for the delivery of Gnat 750, in addition there were orders from the “ Directorate of Science and Technology ” (DST) of the CIA . The CIA did not feel tied to the monopoly of the "Joint Program Office" (JPO) founded in 1987, which alone could determine which bodies were allowed to use funds for the development and procurement of UAVs.
Under the project name “Lofty View”, the CIA procured a number of Gnat 750 together with the associated ground stations and also at least one Swiss RG-8A Condor , which was used as a flying communication station. In January and February 1994 these machines were relocated to Albania ( Gjadër ), in March and April of the same year another relocation took place to a secret location, probably to Taszár in Hungary . Official sources described the following mission as a great success. Real-time images could be sent to the USA via the Condor aircraft as a relay station and a satellite uplink . Due to the short duration of use of the Condor, a satellite connection was only possible for about two hours at a time.
In early 1994 the Pentagon formed the Defense Airborne Reconaissance Office (DARO), a new organization that was directly subordinate to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and was led by the USAF Major General Ken Israel. DARO had its own budget and was supposed to oversee the development and deployment of a new family of long-range UAVs. The JPO, however, was downgraded in its powers. DARO only inherited one UAV program from the JPO, namely the Gnat 750.
Introduction of the tier system
Based on the Gnat 750, DARO defined a long-range UAV program that divided the UAVs into different "tiers" (i.e. hierarchical levels) according to their operational capabilities, costs and operational risks.
- Tier 1 was the Gnat 750,
- Tier 2 was an improved device under development based on a concept from GA-ASI, which received a completion order in January 1994. It was also referred to as the "Medium Altitude Endurance UAV" and by GA-ASI as the "Predator". The first machine flew in June 1994.
The Predator was one of the first examples of what the Pentagon called the “Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration” (ACTD) concept of building a demonstration aircraft, which, however, should already have an - albeit limited - operational capability. DARO wanted to finish the Predator in four copies together with a ground station as quickly as possible so that it could be used in a kind of emergency operation as early as the beginning of 1995. At 204 kg, the payload of the Predator was significantly higher than that of the Gnat, which could only carry 60 kg.
construction
The structural design largely corresponds to that of the Amber, but the Gnat is a low-wing aircraft and has somewhat larger dimensions overall. However, the Gnat weighs less and can carry a higher payload. It is powered by a four-cylinder Rotax 912 piston engine , which delivers 64 kW (85 hp).
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 0 |
| length | 5.00 m |
| span | 10.75 m |
| Service ceiling | 7600 m |
| Empty weight | 250 kg |
| All-up weight | 520 kg |
| Top speed | 192 km / h |
| Maximum flight time | 48 hours |
| Range | 2200 km |
| Engine | a four-cylinder piston engine Rotax 912 with 64 kW (85 PS) output |
literature
- Bill Sweetman: HALE / MALE Unmanned Air Vehicles. Part 1: History of the Endurance UAV. In: International Air Power Review. Vol. 15, 2005, pp. 54-73.