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23 UAV Solutions Talon 120 | Dossier prototype 120s in conjunction with the university before progressing to the second iteration, which was the first production version. That initial offering to customers was manufactured by UAV Solutions mostly in-house, and went on sale from the end of 2012. Davidson remarks that UAV Solutions established a considerable in-house manufacturing capability originally to meet Department of Defense confidentiality requirements and avoid outsourcing certain items. However, that capability became pivotal in the quest to keep the Talon 120 affordable, Davidson explains, adding, “We have continued talking to customers to find out what they can afford and what they want.” Iteration two of the 120 – the first production version – had hollow moulded wing sections, whereas iteration three used injected foam, and iteration four used injected foam with fibreglass skinning. A key factor in the affordability of the Talon 120 is the use of injection-moulded foam wing sections, Davidson says. “That gives us a durable wing and drives the cost down, but some potential customers don’t like the finish that a ‘styrofoam’ approach gives,” remarks Unmanned Systems Technology | Summer 2015 points in the fuselage skin. Also on the left-hand side of the fuselage is the power key, which plugs in to complete the circuit from the battery to the electronics, forming a straightforward on/off switch. The base of the fuselage remains closed, and beneath is attached a belly pan made from injection-moulded foam by a subcontractor (the exterior of which is left unfinished). This item remains in situ, regardless of whether an optional payload is carried since it assists launching and also protects the fuselage on landing. It is attached to the fuselage by six thumb screws that fix into an aluminium plate located inside the fuselage, on the floor. An aluminium pan is bonded to the base of the belly pan to connect with an optional pneumatic launcher, in which case a hook is bolted to it. An aluminium insert in the top of the fuselage provides hard points for mounting the wing using four thumb screws. That insert is flat, and mates with a flat ‘saddle’ section formed in the underside of the wing. The wing is solid, having an injection-moulded foam core with fibreglass (GRP) skins around it. The skins are laid up in upper and lower halves in a female mould, then bonded around the foam core. The injection- moulding process enables the saddle section to be formed in the core. It follows that bulkheads are not required; the foam core fills the wing, giving it strength. The wing is made in three sections, all manufactured in the same manner. Detent pins attach the outer sections to the centre section, the pins having spring-loaded balls to secure the joints – the outer wing sections snap into place. The tailplane and the (separate) tail fin are similarly made. The wing ailerons and tail control flaps are cut out and attached via spectra fabric, which acts as a hinge running the full length of the joint. Wires are routed through passages inside the otherwise solid wing assembly to the servos that control the ailerons. A pitot tube is held by a 3D-printed nylon mount; it extends forward from the junction of the centre and right-hand wing sections with an air speed sensor mounted close to it, and the data that generates from the pitot is sent through wires that are channelled through the wing into the fuselage. A GPS module is located by a 3D-printed nylon mount on the main boom, situated between the wing and the tail fin. The mount is bonded to the boom. The same attachment solution is used for the control radio antenna, located a little further behind. A 2.4 GHz antenna faces downwards from the boom, positioned under the tail fin section. A tube inside the tailplane slots into the rear of the main boom, which has a 3D-printed nylon interface such that only one fixing screw is required. The tail fin likewise attaches to that interface, with just two screws attaching it. That complex interface would be very tricky to machine – it is a part that lends itself to 3D printing. Some suppliers to the Talon 120 Propeller: APC Motor: Scorpion Power System Speed controller: Castle Creations Battery: Tattu Pitot tube: 3DR GPS: 3DR Fasteners: Hi-Tech Fasteners Carbon and Kevlar fibres: Fibre Glast Epoxy: Fibre Glast Sailcloth: Honeywell Spectra Paint: DuPont Design software: SolidWorks Our in-house manufacturing capability, set up originally to meet DoD requirements, has become pivotal in the quest to keep the 120 affordable