Prox Dynamics PD-100
| Prox Dynamics PD-100 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Helicopter drone / nanoUAV |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
FLIR Systems (previously Prox Dynamics AB) |
The PD-100 Black Hornet is a helicopter drone from the Norwegian manufacturer Prox Dynamics , which was acquired by FLIR Systems in 2016 . It is currently the smallest operational unmanned aerial vehicle of its kind on the market.
description
After several design studies, a conventional configuration with main and tail rotor was chosen for the PD-100. It was originally developed for search and rescue tasks. It is controlled either remotely or autonomously using preprogrammed waypoints. For this purpose, the helicopter has a GPS receiver, rotation rate , acceleration and pressure sensors . The payload includes a pivoting electro-optic sensor for video and still images. These are transmitted to the ground station via a digital data link with a range of up to 1600 m. If the data transfer is lost or the batteries are almost empty, the aircraft will automatically return to the take-off site.
The ground station is housed in a housing that simultaneously contains two helicopters during transport and an internal battery for their operation and for recharging the flight batteries. For operation, it is expanded to include an external display and the controller.
The manufacturer calls the entire drone system, consisting of two aircraft and the ground station, the Personal Reconnaissance System , which leads to the name of the overall system PD-100 PRS . The entire system weighs less than 1 kg and fits in any backpack.
Users
By 2016, more than ten countries had procured the system.
United Kingdom
The Black Hornet has been in service with the British military in Afghanistan since May 2012 . On February 4, 2013, the UK Ministry of Defense announced that it would purchase 160 systems through national partner Marlborough Communications at a price of £ 20 million.
Germany
The Bundeswehr acquired the system in 2016 for covert reconnaissance in local areas by specialized forces from the army. The contract includes the procurement of the systems as well as five years of industry-based use, including training and system support.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Rotor diameter | 12 cm |
| Hull length | 10 centimeters |
| Trunk width | 2.5 cm |
| Range | 1600 m |
| Dimensions | 18 g |
| Top speed | 36 km / h |
| Flight duration | up to 25 min |
Web links
- PD-100 on the manufacturer's website ( Memento from January 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- Video on Youtube
- Video on Youtube
Individual evidence
- ^ Spiegel: "Black Hornet": British use mini drones in Afghanistan. Retrieved February 6, 2013 .
- ↑ UAS vision: PD-100 Black Hornet vs Quadrotor Helicopter - Comparing Two Nano RPAS Airframe configurations. Retrieved February 6, 2013 .
- ↑ BBC UK: Mini helicopter drone for UK troops in Afghanistan. Retrieved February 6, 2013 .
- ↑ a b c rt.com: UK deploys toy-sized spy drones in Afghanistan. Retrieved February 6, 2013 .
- ↑ a b miltechmag.com: The PD-100 BLACK HORNET - A Closer Look. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013 ; Retrieved February 6, 2013 .
- ↑ a b proxdynamics.com: PD-100 PRS ( Memento from January 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ a b Mini-Helicopter: Army introduces Black Hornet . In: FLIGHT REVIEW . ( Flugrevue.de [accessed on January 16, 2017]).
- ↑ FlightGlobal: UK shows Black Hornet UAV in action. Retrieved February 7, 2013 .
- ↑ DailyMail: The Black Hornet - tiny spy drone that can follow enemy targets all the way home. Retrieved February 6, 2013 .
- ↑ a b Ministry of Defense: British troops in Afghanistan are the first to use state-of-the-art handheld nano surveillance helicopters. Retrieved February 6, 2013 .