Uninhabited and Unafraid, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UCAV, UAV, and Drone Aircraft)

[Weaver]

Suggestion: Revell do a 1/144th scale F-117A which is grossly innacurate (louvered exhausts and multi-hole intakes  ). How about pruning the point of the cockpit pyramid and scaleorama-ing it to 1/72nd as a drone development of the same technology? It would (kind of) be to the F-117 what the A-21 was to the SR-71. You could hang a couple under a DC-130H as an upgrade.......

[D-Angle]

A couple of interesting helicopter UAVs:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_A160_Hummingbird


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-8_Fire_Scout

[Weaver]

http://cgi.ebay.ph/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200358650378#ebayphotohosting

A partly assembled 1/144 Revell F-117A that went for £0.99 Was that you Weav? 

Nope - got FAR too much on already 

Interesting picture though: the kit parts look like they might be more accurate than the box top artwork....

[Daryl J.]

I'd suggest an old Eindekker sans pilot guided by a tube radio but I think the radio gear would weigh more than the aircraft could handle not to mention catch the fabric on fire from all the heat generated.   


Daryl J.

[Burncycle]

How about this UAV?

http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/slam.html 

Suggestion: Revell do a 1/144th scale F-117A which is grossly innacurate (louvered exhausts and multi-hole intakes  ). How about pruning the point of the cockpit pyramid and scaleorama-ing it to 1/72nd as a drone development of the same technology? It would (kind of) be to the F-117 what the A-21 was to the SR-71. You could hang a couple under a DC-130H as an upgrade.......

Lockheed Skunkworks' super-secret stealth UAV folded for ramp deployment from Hercs  

Senior Prom  

http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/senior-prom.html

[Weaver]

Damn it's getting hard to make stuff up......

Cheers Burncycle - interesting stuff! 

[dy031101]

Inspired by Red Alert 3's Allied Aircraft Carriers and at this day and age, would a CVL packed with UCAVs for strike duties be more useful than the idea would be just a decade ago?

The image I keep on having in mind is something like the Hyuga class DDH (which has torpedo tubes as well as Mk41 VLS for VL ASROC and ESSM, for defense against targets the UCAVs might not necessarily be able to deal well with) with her flight deck and hanger mostly occupied by the likes of Mantis or Predator C......

[Mossie]

Missed the bit about rotorcraft, but I was always rather fond of the Bell Eagle Eye:


Liked the Dragon Warrior too:


Kind of a shame neither have worked out.

[GTX]

A little tidbit that might be of use for whiffing purposes:  the entire Eagle Eye project (including full development and production rights) was on offer to Australia as part of Bell's AIR87 (eventually won by the Eurocopter Tiger) offer with the AH-1Z Viper/SuperCobra.

Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

One for the UCAS fans like me:


Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

Great quote!  I guess Arnie & friends are the ultimate UGV's...

[rickshaw]

May after losing the ATF contest Northrop decide to develop the YF-23 into a UCAV:



Regards,

Greg

Now either we have a Japanese reader somewhere or great minds think alike.  I came across this on a Japanese webpage:



OK, managed to track down the company that makes the model!

Aozora Models in Japan.  Its 1/144 scale.

[Hobbes]

(re: Revell F-117A)

Interesting picture though: the kit parts look like they might be more accurate than the box top artwork

I don't have the box to compare, but the kit is definitely inaccurate. The shape is wrong: some of the facets are completely different from the real aircraft. The intakes and exhausts are as you say, the bottom is flat instead of faceted and the bomb bay is incorrect. You're beter off buying the Dragon 1:144 F-117, this is much better.

[Hobbes]

Inspired by Red Alert 3's Allied Aircraft Carriers and at this day and age, would a CVL packed with UCAVs for strike duties be more useful than the idea would be just a decade ago?

The image I keep on having in mind is something like the Hyuga class DDH (which has torpedo tubes as well as Mk41 VLS for VL ASROC and ESSM, for defense against targets the UCAVs might not necessarily be able to deal well with) with her flight deck and hanger mostly occupied by the likes of Mantis or Predator C......

Absolutely. Things have come a long way. You'll need new UCAVs for the carrier environment, though. Predator needs a 600m runway.

[GTX]

You'll need new UCAVs for the carrier environment, though.

Speaking of which, if you are interested, have a look at the TSSE Sea Archer proposal here.  They even proposed unmanned deck vehicles.

Regards,

Greg