UAVs

Israeli media reports are suggesting that Israel Aerospace Industries’ developmental Eitan high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicle will have a span of 33.5m (110ft) from tip to tip; some 9.1m longer than previously indicated.

The latest version of the UAV is being tipped to fly this month, and follows work on at least two earlier configurations of the aircraft. The development programme appears to be based on an evolutionary approach inolving rapid development of a number of prototypes.

With a 33.5m wing, Eitan would be the world’s sixth largest UAV in span terms until Aurora Flight Sciences’ Orion fuel cell-powered UAV flies in 2008. Aurora now has a single Orion demonstrator under construction, with this having a 33.8m span.

The largest UAV ever was the Aerovironment Helios, which had a span of 83.5m, with second place held by Boeing’s Boeing Condor, with a 60.9m span. Aerovironment’s Pathfinder Plus aircraft, now retired, also had a span of 36.9m.

Northrop Grumman’s RQ-8B Global Hawk is the largest UAV currently in series production, with a span of 39.6m, while the RQ-4A version – the last examples of which are now in final assembly – has a span of 35.3m.