- An unmanned spinning spy plane that could hover above
a location for days gathering intelligence has been developed by US
researchers.
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- The prototype vehicle, known as "the Whirl",
was constructed by researchers at US defence and aerospace company Raytheon
in Tucson, Arizona.
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- The aircraft has four fixed wings, each measuring three
metres long and emanating from a central hub. Each wing has its own
propeller
on top and is spaced at 90 to its neighbour. Everything works together
to make the entire craft revolve.
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- The wings also have an upturned manoeuvrable aerofoil
at each tip, enabling the craft to maintain a stable hover - fulfilling
a similar function to a helicopter's rear rotor - and to direct its
movement.
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- Raytheon researcher, John Liebsch, described it as a
"cross between a ceiling fan and a sailboat", and says the design
should be more stable and power-efficient than a conventional
helicopter.
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- Anti-aircraft missiles
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- He believes that the Whirl could ascend to an altitude
of up to 16 km - high enough to avoid anti-aircraft missiles - and hover
there for up to four days. The US military's Global Hawk drone can stay
aloft for 36 hours at an altitude of up to 20 km.
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- Independent experts describe the prototype as a unique
proposition. "There seem to be more new design approaches to uncrewed
vehicles these days than you can shake a stick at," says Ken Munson,
editor of the UK-based military publication Jane's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
and Targets. "Itís certainly an innovative design."
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- But Munson suggests that the vehicle will have to undergo
more testing before it proves its worth. "The real test will come
out of doors, I suspect," he told New Scientist.
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- Its creators say that the Whirl should be ideally suited
to tracking moving objects on the ground, as it can linger in one position
in the air. A non-hovering drone, by comparison, has to adjust for its
own trajectory before it can accurately track another moving target.
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- So far the Whirl has only been tested inside a hanger,
but preparations are underway for open-air tests. A full version of the
drone should cost around $1 million to develop, and Raytheon has asked
the Pentagon to provide this funding.
-
- A spokesperson for Raytheon refused to provide any
further
information about the prototype at this time.
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- © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.
- http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996380
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