UAV Subsystems

[alireza-snake]

Hello everyone

could someone please gimmie some info about UAV Subsystems?

Is it extras mounted on UAVs?

[macboffin]

UAVs are systems.They are not remote operated airplanes like models on steroids. Their usual task, which they are specifically designed for, is to go to a target of choice,or several in the course of one flight, to get data, such as still or video pictures, air samples,( to check for radio-actves or other pollution), look for forest fires, sea pollution by oil spills, etc etc. Their various systems may include daylight visual cameras, night vision cameras,infra red cameras, and many other kinds of sensors.The plane may be autonomous, although a ground or air-based operator may take over control for part of the flight.The data gathered may be instantly transmitted to base ; possibly by a highly compressed "burst" transmission which will be interpreted by unauthorised listeners as just a quick blip if "static".(a UAV constantly transmitting to base is advertising it's presence, and the signal could be homed on by offensive devices). Signals may be bounced off satellites when the palne is working at long ranges. Add to this a need for a lot of sensors etc so that information about the plane itself and it's "health"(Fuel and battery states, generator ok etc can be passed to the ground in case the flight plan needs modifying.All together, a complicated set of systems.And thats just for what is in the air! On the ground there is a ground control station which recieves data from the plane,updates instructions when necessary, filters and cleans up the arriving datea, applies censorship where necessary and disseminates part or all of data to various parties which may include professors in ivory towers, and soldiers in the field.You also need maintainance and repair facilites, crew to do all the various duties, and more crews to keep them fed, watered and supplied with all they need. This is of course a great simplification, but all of this needs to be kept in mind if you are thinking about getting invoved in UAVs. And it also depends on where you are. The picture in Iran, for instance, is somewhat different to that in America. I hope this will be helpful to you.

[BeefStake]

I think the consensus is sub-systems are the smaller systems that make up a UAV.
So things like the flight control system, normally this is composed of a processor, some sensors and some actuators of some kind. It is a system on it's own however it is part of the much bigger system that is the UAV.

Should point you in the right direction.

[johnorama]

I am a UAV flight instructor with experience on 11 unmanned systems. The above posts are correct. When we teach system components it is always broken down into subsystems and how they interact and affect each other.

Typical Subsystems:
propulsion
fuel
electrical
sensors/flight control
lighting
payload
communication/datalink
emergency recovery/flight termination

[jglenn]

Lighting in terms of little navigation lights on the outside of the UAV?

I thought you don't want people to see them! Do they still require real pilots
to fly the big ones, like The Reaper?

[airmcn_3]

Lighting in terms of little navigation lights on the outside of the UAV?

I thought you don't want people to see them! Do they still require real pilots
to fly the big ones, like The Reaper?


Yes lights on the outside of the UAV. It has to be high visibility with the correct markings.

Yes the reaper and UAV's that size do have regular pilots on the ground controlling it. I do believe those size birds have full scale Autopilot/navigation systems in them.

[jglenn]

I must make a 5KW strobe for my craft! There was talk that military pilots HATE UAV's, because they often are told to report to a trailer in the desert, and

"fly model planes".

They know their job is eroding, it will be hard to be a Top Gun in the future,
when machines can handle a lot more G's, and don't get tired, or hesitate to destroy any target desired. Skynet may be coming. :)