U.K. UAV competition

A team, led by recently
qualified engineers and scientists from Qinetiq’s
Cortex training scheme, has entered an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for the MOD
Grand Challenge. The Grand Challenge, which is open to companies, research
laboratories, and academic science faculties, calls for the design of a
platform with a high degree of autonomy that can detect, identify, monitor, and
report a comprehensive range of military threats in an urban environment. Qinetiq
said its Grand Challenge entry can take off vertically and then transition into
conventional flight to provide range and operational duration. With this
design, the vehicle can be used as a conventional UAV, go into hover mode, or
be landed to function as an unattended ground sensor. The sensor and imaging
payload can be preconfigured using a number of existing technologies to meet
user requirements. It can remain on station and then take off again
(unattended) and be recovered back to base or continue to perform as a UAV or a
ground sensor at another location.

Powered by twin electric
motors, the airframe is said to be manoeuvrable, stable, efficient, robust, and
durable. It is also lightweight, easily scaleable from the current wingspan of
about 1.5 meter, highly portable and can be operated for long durations. The
system is currently undergoing flight testing. Final demonstration trials will
take place at Copehill Down on Salisbury Plain during August. The trials aim to
validate each entry’s ability to detect and identify real and potential
threats, and relay this information back to an operator.