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The Heron or Machatz-1 is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle developed by the Malat (UAV) division of Israel Aircraft Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) operations of up to 52 hours' duration at up to 35,000 feet. It has demonstrated 52 hours of continuous flight, but the effective operational maximal flight duration is less, due to payload and flight profile. There is a new version, Heron TP.
On September 11, 2005 it was announced [1] that the Israel Defence Forces purchased US$50 million worth of Heron systems. The IDF's designation of the Heron is Machatz-1.
Apart from Israel, the countries which operate the Heron are India and Turkey.1 France operates a derivative of Heron named Eagle.2 In August 2008, Canada announced plans to lease a Heron for use in Afghanistan beginning early the following year.3
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Navigation
Heron navigates using an internal GPS receiver, and either a pre-programmed flight profile (in which case the system is fully autonomous from takeoff to landing), manual override from a ground control station, or a combination of both. It can autonomously return to base and land in case of lost communication with the ground station. The system has fully automatic launch and recovery (ALR) and all-weather capabilities.
Payload
Heron can carry an array of sensors, including infra-red and visible-light surveillance, intelligence systems (COMINT and ELINT) and various radar systems, totaling up to 250 kg. Heron is also capable of target acquisition and artillery adjustment.
The payload sensors communicate with the ground control station in real-time, using either direct line of sight data link, or via an airborne/satellite relay. Like the navigation system, the payload can also be used in either a fully pre-programmed autonomous mode, or manual real-time remote operation, or a combination of both.
Specifications
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General characteristics
- Crew: None
- Length: 8.94 m (29 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 16.60 m (54 ft 5 in)
- Height: ()
- Max takeoff weight: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Rotax 914, 86 kW (115 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 207 km/h (113 knots, 130 mph)
- Range: 3,300 km (1,872 nm, 2,063 mi)
- Service ceiling 10,000 m (32,800 ft)
- Rate of climb: 150 m/min (492 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 200 kg/m² (40.9 lb/ft²)
References
External links
- IAI Heron Update
- MALE UAV Applications
- UAV Sensor applications
- EO Sensors for UAVs
- SAR sensors for UAVs
See also
Related development
- Eitan (UCAV) : Israeli HALE UAV
Comparable aircraft
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 3 January 2009, at 10:46.
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