The Orion Industries UAV Model 706 Sea Bat

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This unmanned air vehicle prototype was designed in 1994 as a reconnaissance drone for the U. S. Navy. Scaled Composites, Inc. (Burt Rutan's company) manufactured the carbon-fiber airframe in 1995. The tandem engine design takes off vertically and transitions to horizontal flight. The forward engine can be shut down to extend endurance during loiter missions. The aircraft transitions to vertical flight to land on the four energy-absorbing struts. The Sea Bat used a flight control computer with gyros, accelerometers, GPS, air data and acoustic sensors. The program ended in 1997.

Specifications
Type: VTOL Aerial Recon
Wing Span: 10 feet
Length: 6 feet
Gross Weight: 200 pounds
Empty Weight Equipped (with full oil): 115 pounds
Fuel: 35 pounds
Payload: 50 pounds
Power Plant: 2 Alvis AR 731 Single Rotary Engines; Maximum Continuous 60 HP
Maximum Airspeed (VNE): 180 Knots
Rate of Climb at Sea Level: 1,500 feet
Maximum Ceiling: 10,000 feet
Hover Ceiling IGE @ GW: 4,500 feet
Hover Ceiling OGE @ GW: 4.250 feet
The aircraft entered flight testing in 1995. It flew a modular payload with IR and EO sensors. It was launched and recovered autonomously with a GPS Navigator.


 

 

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