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Raytheon Receives FAA Experimental Airworthiness Certificate for Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System.
November 3, 2006
From Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System
The units used in this article have been converted to metric units.
TUCSON, Ariz., Nov. 2, 2006 -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is the third unmanned aircraft and the first of its size to receive an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Cobra is a low-cost, highly reliable UAS designed to support Raytheon's development, integration and test of unmanned systems technologies. The aircraft has a wingspan of 3.1 m and is 2.83 m long. The certification is the first given to a small UAS and permits Cobra flight operations in a specified section of the National Airspace in Southeastern Arizona. It also authorizes Raytheon to conduct research and development, crew training and market surveys using the Cobra UAS.
The Cobra UAS integrates advanced systems and capabilities from several Raytheon businesses, including Tucson-based Missile Systems Intelligence and Information Systems (IIS), based in Garland, Texas Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, Calif. and McKinney, Texas-based Network Centric Systems. The Cobra test bed will be used to support the development, test and demonstration of sensor systems networked command, control and communications systems and UAS architectural concepts.
" The Cobra UAS will significantly decrease costs and compress schedules for bringing new UAS technologies to market," said Ken Pederson, vice president of Missile Systems' Advanced Programs. " Our customers will benefit from our ability to support both internal Raytheon development efforts and their programs with Cobra, without increasing the pressure on tactical systems and valuable range resources."
Raytheon worked closely with the FAA to receive the Experimental Aircraft Certification, providing Cobra UAS design, manufacturing, maintenance, safety, operations and training documentation for its review and approval. The final step in the certification process was a demonstration of Cobra UAS ground operations conducted under the observation of FAA teams from Washington and Phoenix.
Raytheon Company, with 2005 sales of $21.9 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.
Note:
The Cobra UAS is composed of the aircraft and ground elements. The ground element consists of two control systems -- the Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo Ground Control Station and the Raytheon IIS next-generation Multi-Vehicle Control System. The MVCS uses the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4586 interface to communicate with the Cobra aircraft. The dual control system configuration provides for maximum flexibility and safety during testing.
From http://www.cloudcaptech.com/whatsnew.htm
Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System
Cobra UAS is a low-cost, highly reliable platform that supports small UAS systems development, integration and test. Cobra UAS received Experimental Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration Sept. 29, 2006.
Benefits
- Large payload volume and weight capacity
- Modular design for easy payload integration
- Extremely stable and predictable flight characteristics
- Onboard generator and power distribution unit
- Shielding to prevent electromagnetic interference
- Autonomous global positioning system (GPS) guidance
- Affordable system acquisition and operation
Description
Raytheon has designed, developed and is conducting flight operations with the Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS Cobra UAS is designed as a test bed for the development, test and demonstration of sensor systems networked command control and communications systems UAS architectural concepts and small weapons. Cobra UAS has proven to be an extremely cost-effective, reliable and maintainable system. Cobra Air Vehicle The Cobra UAS air vehicle all-composite vehicle combines a high-performance wing with a lifting body fuselage for a high payload to overall vehicle weight ratio. It has a wingspan of 3.1 m, an overall length of 2.83 m and maximum gross takeoff weight of more than 45 Kg. Of this, more than 20 Kg are allocated for fuel and payload therefore, endurance is dependent on payload weight. For example, with a 11.3 Kg payload, Cobra UAS has an endurance of longer than 3 hours.
Cobra UAS is equipped with a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine, an air-cooled, two-cycle, two-cylinder power plant that produces 12.3 KWatt. A 500-watt generator provides primary electrical power and lithium polymer rechargeable batteries provide backup power.
Cloud Cap Technology’s Piccolo II autopilot is used for guidance and navigation. Piccolo II provides the Cobra an advanced integrated avionics system specifically designed for small unmanned aircraft. The Piccolo avionics system includes the autopilot, flight sensors, navigation capability, global positioning system (GPS) receiver, wireless communication, payload interfaces, and command and control (C2) data link.
One standard Cobra UAS test configuration includes a mission computer, MicroLight™ data link radio and fixed electro-optical camera.
The onboard mission computer can process payload data and format data for transmission to a ground or airborne control center or communications node.
The 1.4 GHz Pentium® mission computer has an 8 GB solid-state hard drive for data storage.
Communication Links
The Raytheon MicroLight data link radio is the Cobra UAS’ primary communication link for C2 and data transmission. The MicroLight is a miniature, software-defined radio that transports voice, video and data across a UHF network and supports multi-vehicle networked C2.
- Frequency of 420 – 450 MHz
- Data rate of up to 1 Mbps
- Output power of 5 watts
- Range dependent on selected waveform and operating mode
- Secure but unclassified (SBU) security with Type 1 certification pending
- Ad hoc routing and automatic relay for range extension
The MHX-910 Microhard radio is an integral part of the Piccolo avionics system. It is used during launch and recovery
and as a backup C2 link.
- Frequency of 902 – 928 MHz
- Output power of 1 watt
- Range of approximately 37 Km
The Cobra UAS also uses a commercial 2.4 GHz analog link for video transmission from the onboard, fixed camera to the
ground.
MicroLight™ radio
Cobra Ground Element
The Cobra UAS ground element consists of two separate control systems: the Raytheon Multi-Vehicle Control System
(MVCS) and the Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo ground control station. The two control systems provide maximum flexibility and safety during payload testing. The MVCS is network enabled allowing multiple pilot consoles to be connected to share data. The MVCS uses the STANAG 4586 interface to communicate with a UAS through a vehicle specific module (VSM) and accommodates complex mission plans. The MVCS supports electro-optical / infrared full motion streaming video and other advanced payloads.
The VSM is the interface or translator between the aircraft and the ground control station. It can reside in an airborne processor, as on the Cobra UAS, or at the ground control station. The Cobra VSM was created to communicate with the Piccolo autopilot and can be readily adapted to any UAS that uses a Piccolo autopilot.
The Core UAS Control System (CUCS) provides the operator interface to the system controls and displays system and flight information to the pilot. The displays are configurable and include the primary flight display, a moving map or situational awareness display, warnings and cautions, and various data displays from the aircraft telemetry. This system can use satellite imagery for the moving map display. When more than one UAS telemetry stream is detected on the network, all UAS positions are shown on the map with an identification and altitude tag.
Cobra UAS Specifications
Wingspan: 3.1 m
Length: 2.83 m
Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight: > 45 Kg
Payload Volume: 42.5 litre
Weight Including Fuel: > 20 Kgs
Endurance with 9 Kgs Fuel and 11.3 Kgs Payload: > 3 hours
Air Speed: Cruise: 93 ... 111 Kmph
Dash: 148 Kmph
Engine: 12.3 KWatts
Onboard Power: Generator: 500 W
Batteries: Lithium polymer
Guidance and Navigation: Piccolo II and Piccolo Plus
C2: System A: MVCS
System B: Piccolo Ground Station
Communication Links:
C2 and Data: 420 – 450 MHz MicroLight
C2: 902 – 928 MHz Microhard
Analog Video: 2.4 GHz
Summary
The Cobra UAS provides users with a low-cost, reliable test platform, advanced C2, and networked communications capability to support their UAS test needs. Raytheon is ready to support customer test needs with the Cobra UAS. Purchase, lease, training and test support are available.
The Cobra UAS received Experimental Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration Sept. 29, 2006.
Raytheon Company
Missile Systems
Advanced Programs
P.O. Box 11337
Tucson, Arizona
85734-1337 USA
520.545.9761 phone
520.545.9300 fax
www.raytheon.com
From Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System
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