UVH-290E is the latest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the series of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles offered by UAVOS. It is designed to meet the requirements of the air forces, armed forces, and civilian operators.
The UAV was unveiled at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2018 held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in February 2018.
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It was also showcased alongside the Borey 10 fixed-wing aircraft at UAV India 2018 Civil & Military exhibition held in New Delhi, India, in September 2018.
UAVOS partnered with Bharat Drone Systems of India to offer its UAVs for the Indian armed forces.
The unmanned aircraft is designed to perform observation flights, aerial patrolling, reconnaissance, aerial photography, radio link range extension and retransmission, and target designation missions. It can be operated in harsh weather conditions.
UVH-290E UAV design features
The UVH-290E encompasses a typical rotorcraft design integrating main and tail rotors. The under-fuselage is fitted with a fixed landing gear.
The unmanned aircraft measures 2,430mm-long and 860mm-high, and has a wheelbase of 750mm. The main rotor of the UAV has a diameter of 3,200mm.
The UVH-290E UAV has an empty weight of 73kg, while the weight of the maritime version is up to 74.7kg.
The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 107kg and can carry a maximum payload of 20kg, while the payload capacity with full fuel tank is 5kg.
The UAV is equipped with parachute emergency landing system. It can carry a GSG-185 two-axis gyro-stabilised gimbal fitted with a high-definition day camera, thermal cameras, and an advanced laser rangefinder.
The UAV is dismountable and can be stored in a box measuring 1,300mm-long, 650mm-wide and 800mm-high.
Navigation and flight control
The unmanned vehicle requires an area of 10m x 10m to perform take-off and landing operations. The main control mode of the UAV is fully automatic, while it can also be controlled in semi-automatic and emergency modes. It also features a proprietary autopilot system.
The UAV uses wireless network link to perform remote control, diagnostics, and flight planning. It can transmit the mission data effectively while flying through frequency jamming regions. A laser altimeter is installed in the UAV to determine the altitude.
Ground control station
The UVH-290E UAV is controlled using a portable ground control station (PGCS). It comprises communication and control equipment, antenna, repair kit and a filling kit.
The PGCS measures 1,300mm-long and 650mm wide.
Engine and performance of the UVH-290E UAV
The unmanned aircraft is powered by a Wankel type four-stroke single rotary engine with a power output of 17kW. The onboard fuel tank has a maximum storage capacity of 38l. The auxiliary power requirements of the vehicle are served by a 12V onboard power supply system.
The engine enables the aircraft to fly at a maximum speed of 100km/h and a maximum cruising speed of 70km/h. The UAV has an operational range of 300km and can withstand maximum wind speed of 14m/s during take-off or landing. It can operate at an altitude of 6,800ft (2,100m) and can climb at a maximum rate of 3m/s.
The UVH-290E UAV has an endurance of more than six hours when carrying a payload of 3.3kg.
The flight endurance is five hours with 5kg payload onboard. The endurance drops to three hours with a 16kg payload.
The unmanned aircraft can perform missions in temperatures ranging between -35ºC and 50ºC.
