Unmanned Systems Technology 033 l SubSeaSail Gen6 USSV l Servo actuators focus l UAVs insight l Farnborough 2020 update l Transforma XDBOT l Strange Development REVolution l Radio telemetry focus

97 UAV Factory Penguin C | In operation what PPE, decontamination equipment or specialised cooling system will be needed for safely handling the UAV after it returns from a mapping mission. However, the UAV might not be handled post-mission at all. The returning UAV will probably be deemed a radiation hazard to the flight crew or other nearby staff – and even if it isn’t, they may realise they have to relocate immediately and can’t wait around to receive the UAV back at base. In either event, the parachute would be deployed and the UAV can be left to land gently in a field or wood in the evacuation zone – which the public will not be allowed to enter and therefore cannot approach the aircraft – until such time when a hazmat crew or similar can retrieve it. Future provisions A number of matters remain to be proven-out through testing the UAV. For example, any protection of electronics or other systems against the effects of flying near a nuclear disaster will need to be determined through working with partners who can accurately simulate the effects of such an accident. In the meantime though, UAV Factory will be unveiling its slightly larger Penguin C Mk 2, which while still weighing slightly less than 25 kg (55 lb) will have some new features that might be of interest to the Fukushima team and others. For one, the Mk 2 will have an interchangeable nose section. Each of them is designed with a different payload to suit different missions, to enable much faster plug-and-play swappability for different missions. The Mk 2 will also integrate a rotary servo in its nose section that enables the nose cone to turn 360 º in the z axis, creating a fully gyro-stabilised seat for the payload. As the UAV banks to turn – as is typical near the preset borders of an area to be monitored or mapped – the nose adjusts its attitude to keep the payload’s axis parallel with the horizon. “This extra axis of stability means more accurately geo-stamped images during turning, less image blur – especially when using payloads that aren’t typically designed for gyro-stabilisation – and more usable images per flight,” Popiks says. “This aircraft will also have many parts that are interchangeable with the older Penguin C, including the same GCS and catapult. The Fukushima project could adopt this for longer flight times and heavier payloads, with reduced downtime if they wanted to recover the UAV after a flight and change to a different payload. “If it’s safe for them to recover it, the Mk 2 can turn its nose upside down, to perform a belly landing in a nearby field and keep the payload safe from collision with the ground.” Eliminating the need for recovery equipment will no doubt be of huge value in a range of other missions, from disaster monitoring and relief to routine commercial and military operations around the world. Unmanned Systems Technology | August/September 2020 Wingspan: 3.3 m Length: 2.3 m MTOW: 23 kg Maximum payload: 4 kg Maximum endurance: 20 hours Maximum range: 100 km Top speed: 115 kph Operating speed: 68-79 kph Some key suppliers Radiation sensors: Clear Pulse EO/IR/laser sensors: Octopus ISR Systems Engine: UAV Factory Launch catapult: UAV Factory Autopilot: Cloud Cap Technology Specifications The new Penguin C Mk 2 features a rotating nose, enabling more accurate image capture, and belly- landings if the payload is rotated to face away from the ground (Courtesy of UAV Factory)