Successfully Conducts Launch Abort, 'Perch' Tests
Aero-News has learned the US Navy's MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned
aerial vehicle made its first flight last week, at the Webster
Field annex of Patuxent River Naval Air Station, in St. Inigoes,
MD.
The Navy's vertical takeoff and landing tactical UAV (VTUAV)
system was originally dubbed the RQ-8A, but during the summer of
2005, was re-designated to the MQ-8B to reflect the Fire Scout's
evolution toward an increased, multi-functional role. The test
events described here mark the first flight of the enhanced
variant.
During the Fire Scout's December 18 flight test, three events
were conducted and executed as planned. Flight test one was a test
of the command for launch abort functionality, calling for the
operator to command a launch and immediately command an abort. This
test ensured that the control logic would hold the aircraft on deck
if it had not yet taken off.
Flight test two was a test of the same system after takeoff had
commenced. It called for the operator to issue the launch command
then issue an abort command immediately after takeoff.
The third flight test focused primarily on safety. Fire Scout
developers have determined that when the aircraft is below ten
feet, it is safest to return immediately to the deck. If the
aircraft is higher than ten feet, it should continue up to a
"perch" altitude of thirty feet, and await further commands. Flight
test three confirmed this functionality, as the air vehicle
properly ignored an abort command above ten feet and continued to
the perch position.
The aircraft was then allowed to hover for 12 minutes as
telemetry data was recorded. Upon issuance of the land command, the
aircraft executed an uneventful landing back to the launch
spot.
"We are very proud of our efforts leading up to this important
milestone for the program," said Cmdr. Rob Murphy, the VTUAV team
lead. "We had an aggressive schedule, and the integrated team
really pulled together to make it happen on time."
Some of the most notable improvements seen with the MQ variant
of the Fire Scout include increased power, fuel, and payload
capacity. Additionally, the MQ-8B offers more than double the
mission radius and time on station than the previous version of
VTUAV.
The Fire Scout UAV program strives to provide safe, reliable,
repeatable, autonomous flight operations in a maritime environment
from all air capable ships. When operational, Fire Scout will
provide critical situational awareness, intelligence, surveillance,
reconnaissance, and targeting data to the forward deployed
warfighter. The program is on schedule for fleet introduction in FY
08, with full rate production in FY 09 following successful
operational evaluation.
The Fire Scout UAV is manufactured by Northrop Grumman Unmanned
Systems, and the program is managed by the US Navy's Unmanned Air
Systems program office, PMA 263.
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