Defence

Selex Galileo's Falco unmanned air vehicle completed a pneumatic catapult-launched test flight and landing on 11 December 2008 at the Cheshnegirovo air base in Bulgaria.

The use of a catapult enables the UAV to be launched when there is no airstrip, though the Falco's undercarriage and airframe were designed for an automatic take-off and landing on semi-prepared runways. The Bulgarian catapult exercise followed trials carried out in Finland with mock-up launches.

©Selex Galileo
Above: Selex Galileo's Falco UAV on catapult launcher

"During the trials Falco was [configured] for heavy duty operation. All phases of the flight were executed automatically...verifying the dynamic qualities [indicated in simulations]," says Selex. The catapult launch system was designed at the company's Ronchi di Legionari, Italy site.