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53 is, the motor, gearbox, overrunning clutch and brake system – currently only exist with hydraulic drive,” said Torstein Svane. “Furthermore, these systems are sometimes used in areas that require explosion-proof equipment, and slipways using hydraulic drive systems are more suitable for those types of applications. In the future, electric wheel drives will also be available.” USVs or AUVs can enter the slipway at up to 7 knots higher than the speed of the host ship, with the wheel drives’ overrunning clutches enabling free rotation of the wheels in the direction of recovery at up to 7 kph, until the speed of the unmanned craft and the wheel drives are the same. At that point, the wheel drives automatically deliver the craft up the slipway slope and dock it in its parking position. The wheel drive units come in single- wheel configurations (each weighing 425 kg) and quad-wheel configurations (725 kg each). The latter can handle a maximum payload of 4 tonnes on each wheel, compared to 2 tonnes per wheel for the single-wheel units. Arcturus UAV showcased its Jump 20 vehicle, which recently flew in the US Army’s Future Tactical UAS programme as part of a competition involving several other UAS manufacturers. “For the FTUAS fly-off, Arcturus UAV conducted a demonstration that achieved several key US Army objectives, including providing video to front-line commanders and hand-off of the aircraft to a tactical vehicle for on-the-move operations,” commented Philip Mahill. The Jump 20 has four upward- facing electric motors mounted on two wing-integrated booms, to provide a VTOL capability during fixed-wing flight transitions. For horizontal flight it uses a nose- mounted traction propeller and a 190 cc four-stroke to provide a maximum endurance of 16 hours, or a top speed of 72 knots. These figures will change though depending on how the UAV is handled in flight and how much weight is carried. The Jump 20 can carry up to 27.2 kg of payload and fuel, within a MTOW of 95 kg. CADG Aeronautical Innovations operates optionally piloted vehicles (OPVs) for aerial surveys, for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services and support in particular. The company attended IDEX to discuss its newest platform, the Helix ISR, which comprises an ES15 OPV aircraft and a GCS, which were developed by aircraft manufacturer Ecarys and systems integrator S-Plane Automation. The ES15 has an 18 m wingspan and a retractable tricycle landing gear undercarriage that remains stable against crosswinds up to 16 knots. Up to 350 kg of payload can be carried across the three hardpoints of the Helix ISR, with the central payload typically using a Hensoldt Argos II observation system. This gyro-stabilised gimballed sensor integrates an MWIR camera, two EO cameras, a laser designator and a laser rangefinder, with options for a laser pointer and laser illuminator. Total weight is 52.5 kg. Azur Drones exhibited its Skeyetech solution for autonomous aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. The system combines an octocopter UAV with a base station, the latter providing a launch and recovery platform as well as a charging station for the aircraft, with a pair of hatch doors to keep the UAV in a sealed environment when recharging. “The approximate size of the UAV is 860 x 630 x 320 mm, the weight is 6.5 kg, and a contact charging mechanism is used within the base station,” said Deborah Rosset. The Skeyetech is designed to be integrated with security networks to ‘trigger’ the deployment of the UAV to autonomously survey areas of infrastructure or property. It has a 25-minute endurance, is IP43- rated for waterproofing and, as of January 2019, is certified by the French DGAC civil aviation authority to fly in civilian airspace under operator supervision. Unmanned Systems Technology | April/May 2019 Azur Drones’ Skeyetech autonomous aerial reconnaissance system