Israel Aerospace Industries unveils medium-endurance UAV that runs on jet fuel, not gasoline
LOD, Israel, 24 Feb. 2014.Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designers at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in Lod, Israel, have revealed the company's Super Heron heavy-fuel UAV with advanced avionics, triple redundancy, and advanced computerized systems for growth potential.
The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) Super Heron features a heavy-fuel 200 horsepower engine and an advanced propulsion system, which enhances the UAV's capacity, rate of climb, and performance. Super Heron can fly faster than 150 knots true airspeed (KTAS), IAI officials say.
Heavy fuels like jet fuel, diesel fuel, and kerosene, do not pose the same threat of igniting accidentally that gasoline does, and are considered safer to use than gasoline for military operations. IAI introduced the Super Heron UAV this month at the Singapore Air Show in Singapore.
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The IAI Super Heron UAV offers enhanced processing capabilities, increased electrical power, and a standard interface architecture to enable simple integration of new sensor and weapon payloads, IAI officials say. The aircraft is based on the IAI Heron UAV.
The system consists of several proven operational configurations for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, maritime patrol, and other missions. Multi-sensor capabilities, state-of-the-art communications, and proven airspace integration are among its leading features, company officials say.
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IAI's Heron is considered to be the world's leading multimission multi-payload UAV. It is in operational use with the Israel Air Force and with another twenty users worldwide, and has proven its unique and reliable capabilities in key areas around the globe. IAI's various UAV have accumulated over 1.1 million operational flight hours around the world, while the Heron family has accumulated 250,000 operational flight hours worldwide.
The Super Heron can fly missions as far away from operators as 156 miles, or 622 miles with satellite communications (SATCOM) links. The unmanned aircraft can fly for as long as 45 hours, at altitudes to 30,000 feet, and can loiter at speeds from 60 to 80 knots.
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The aircraft can carry payloads as heavy as 992 pounds, has a wingspan of 56 feet, and has a maximum takeoff weight of nearly 3,200 pounds. It has a 300-horsepower heavy-fuel engine, has multisensor capabilities, dual automatic takeoff and landing systems, and state-of-the-art avionics, IAI officials say.
For more information contact IAI online at www.iai.co.il.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
