Urban Aeronautics AirMule
| AirMule | |
|---|---|
 AirMule in flight |
|
| Type: | VTOL -UAV |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Urban Aeronautics |
| First flight: |
December 30, 2015 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 prototypes |
The AirMule (German: Luft maultier ) is an unmanned aerial vehicle with VTOL properties from the Israeli manufacturer Urban Aeronautics. In terms of its design, the vehicle is very similar to the “Flying Jeep” concept that was tried and tested in the 1950s but abandoned in favor of conventional helicopters .
history
Initial considerations were based on the findings from the 2006 Lebanon War . With basic ideas for the concept, Urban Aeronautics started looking for partners for the development and marketing of the new type of aircraft in 2006. The actual development of the AirMule began in 2007, followed by the maiden flight in January 2009. During the first hovering flights, the AirMule was secured to the ground with lines. The original skid landing gear was also subsequently replaced by a wheel landing gear. After flight test activities were delayed due to an accident on the ground, the first untethered flight took place on December 30, 2015. In 2016 [obsolete] , mission-relevant scenarios are to be demonstrated for the first time.
construction
The structure of the AirMule consists of carbon fiber - composite materials . The holds for the payload are located to the side of the fuselage center line between the two lift fans. Propulsion takes place via two smaller ducted propellers in the stern area . The construction takes into account basic stealth principles . The scaffolding of flares and chaffs is planned for military applications .
The buoyancy fan and ducted propeller are driven by a centrally located shaft turbine . The original four-blade rotor was later replaced by a six-blade variant. The first prototype was originally equipped with a Turbomeca Arriel 1D1, which was later replaced by the more powerful Arriel 2 variant.
The AirMule has a 4-channel fly-by-wire system. An inertial navigation system , GPS , Doppler radar and laser altimeter are available for determining position and attitude. It is controlled via adjustable rotor blades and movable blades that are located on the top, bottom, front and rear in the air flow of the blower. Lateral forces and moments for the control can be generated through equal or opposite deflection on the top and bottom, comparable to the control of a tandem helicopter . Two jacket fans are also available at the rear to generate propulsion and support the control. The control is driven by two redundant hydraulic circuits. In the case of supply or evacuation flights in unknown terrain, the landing site should be made either by laying out a marking or by laser marking, which is then optically recorded.
Approval according to the specifications of the FAA is sought.
Application scenarios
There is strong interest in the AirMule from the military. The focus here is on MedEvac operations in particular . The advantages over conventional solutions with helicopters are that no crew is endangered, no open rotors endanger people on the ground and only very small landing zones are necessary. The supply of troops in the combat area should also be one of the future tasks. Due to the limited independence of the thrust vector and position of the hull, advantages for landing on moving ships are also being investigated.
For the civilian market, the AirMule is to be equipped with robotic arms and thus be able to carry out maintenance tasks on bridges, power lines and the like. The encapsulated rotors, which cannot get caught in the lines, are advantageous in this case. Supply tasks in the event of a disaster are also potential mission scenarios.
Derivatives
Based on the AirMule, another variant with higher speeds is being considered. A smaller, remote-controlled model, the Panda with a take-off weight of 14 kg, has already been tested. The Centaur is based on the construction of the AirMule, but is intended for passenger transport . A larger derivative with two engines is being developed under the name X-Hawk for both the civil and military markets.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 6.2 m |
| width | 2.15 m |
| height | 1.8 m |
| Fan diameter | 1.8 m |
| payload | 635 kg less fuel mass |
| Empty mass | 771 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1406 kg |
| Top speed | > 100 kts (> 185 km / h) |
| Service ceiling | 12,000 ft |
| Flight time | up to 5 h |
| Engine | Turbomeca Arriel 2 |
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Urban Aeronautics: AirMule. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Comparison with Piasecki VZ-8 (top left and bottom) and Chrysler VZ-6 (top right)
- ↑ a b Airforce Technology: AirMule Transporter UAV, Israel. Retrieved February 28, 2013 .
- ↑ Arie Egozi: Urban kicks off hunt for Mule UAV medevac partners . In: Flight International . October 2006, p. 26.
- ↑ Israel Defense: The “Air Mule” Takes off. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ FlightGlobal: Urban's Air Mule achieves sustained tethered hover. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Flight Global: AirMule UAV gains wheels for STOVL operations. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Flight Global: Unmanned AirMule makes free-flight debut. Retrieved January 6, 2016 .
- ^ Israel Defense: The Stealth AirMule. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on June 20, 2012 ; Retrieved February 28, 2013 .
- ↑ a b Global Flight: Ducted-fan AirMule to get new blades. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Defense Update: Air Mules FanCrafts Could Be Operational in Four Years. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ a b Urban Aeronautics: FAQ. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ^ Flight Global: AirMule UAS to fly with new hydraulics. Retrieved February 28, 2013 .
- ↑ Flight Global: Israeli military eyes AirMule for medevac missions. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Israel's unmannes AirMule shows hover stability . In: AviationWeek . January 2010, p. 17.
- ^ The AirMule Cometh . In: Unmanned Vehicles . August 2011, pp. 40-41.
- ↑ Urban Aeronautics: What's new - August 2012. Accessed February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Flight Global: AirMule to get robotic arm for precision tasks. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Urban Aeronautics: Remote Tele-Operation in Inaccessible Areas. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ FlightGlobal: Urban Aeronautics reveals high-speed AirMule variant. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ Flight Global: Urban Aeronautics begins Panda flight testing. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ↑ RUVSA: Video: Panda (AirMULE). Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ^ Urban Aeronautics: Centaur. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ^ Urban Aeronautics: X-Hawk. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
- ^ Flight Global: X-Hawk takes to virtual skies using bespoke simulator. Retrieved February 27, 2013 .
