Could a home security consultant operating out of a Manhattan apartment have built the latest and greatest killer drone?
That’s what Flight International has reported, in a series of recent articles. According to the magazine, Stefan Amraly and his American Dynamics corporation have put together a new style of unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) a vertical takeoff and landing machine designed to operate in urban canyons and other close terrain.
The BattleHog 100X demonstrator is, supposedly, a 3200-pound aircraft with a 17-foot wingspan, and a weapons load that can include two Hellfires or rocket pods and an M134 minigun.
One of the unusual features is that it has no control surfaces: it is directed entirely by changing the speed and pitch of a ducted fan mounted in the fuselage, a patented item known as High Torque Aerial Lift. Toughness is a key selling point: the Kevlar-reinforced composite airframe is designed to withstand 7.62mm rounds from 50m (165ft), as well as near-misses from RPGs. With no moving parts to damage, this could make it an extremely difficult drone to bring down. (And if it does come down its specially strengthened to take heavy landings).
Trial flights, including a hover test, allegedly took place in July. BattleHog 100X is claimed to have an endurance of above more than eight hours with a cruising speed of over 200 miles per hour. A bigger version is said to be scheduled for flights in 2008. This will have a 40 foot span and a maximum weight of 16,800kg, including 4,500kg of payload. Armament will include J-DAM guided bombs and AIM-120 AMRAAMs in internal bays, plus a 20mm cannon.
That is, if the Flight International reports are on the money. The BattleHog’s makers, American Dynamics, is previously known only from its work on high speed naval vessels, the magazine says. And its CEO, Stefan Amarly, has a business card that “cites a seventh floor office on Broadway in New York City. The same company name and address is identified in the current New York yellow pages business telephone directory as a home security and technology services consultancy.” I couldnt find any information at all about American Dynamics on the Internet. And their odd-ball construction techniques only add to the air of mystery:
American Dynamics took the unusual step of assembling the vehicle inside a black cloth enclosure to prevent its being seen before exhibition opening. Those same screens were again erected to prevent viewing during its disassembly by three people after exhibition closure.
It will be interesting to see how this one pans out. A tough UCAV built to survive in urban environments and engaging the enemy from very close range with a heavy load of weapons has a lot going for it. VTOL means that BattleHogs could be parked close to the battle area and called up when required at short notice though the eight-hour endurance gives substantial loiter time too. On the other hand, you’ve got to wonder about something from an unknown supplier based on radical new technology… one that looks a little too much like the flying Hunter/Killer robots in the Terminator movies.
– David Hambling
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I wonder whether the ability to survive a hard landing really is an asset? When Hezbollah shot down a few small Israeli drones during the war, Israel sent F15s to the sites to bomb the crap out of the wreckage, presumably to prevent any components or design information from being recovered. I wonder whether the bigger drones – Predator, etc – are designed to survive crashes, or to self-destruct? Anyone know?
Well, if nothing else it’s a concept* give people that -actually- do design and build uav/ucav’s something to think about.
So even if it’s vaporware perhaps something will come out of it.
Maybe.
(*that’s probably been on a wish list forever)
Surviving a hard landing is critical to the overall cost of an aerial weapon system. This is one of the reasons the Predator and Global Hawk are as pricey as they are. While being shot down over the target area and surviving the landing is an open door to the technology in the system, getting shot up and being able to survive a hard landing in an area where the vehicle can be recovered is absolutely critical. Going down over Sadr City is going to get the system bombed or rocketed to keep it from getting into the hands of the bad guys. Getting shot up over Sadr City and surviving a bad landing just outside of town where the control team can recover the vehicle is much better than having to replace one every time it catches a round
Predators (and UAS of that class) are not designed to self-destruct nor are they specifically designed to survive crashes. The carbon fiber airframe is designed to withstand the stress of flight but not impact.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/border/126348
I recall seeing a picture of the site on Fox News. It looked like it did a nose dive and cratered.
I question the wisdom of making such a durable airframe. How many people are you willing to send into harm’s way to recover unmanned aircraft wreakage?
I recall reading about a couple of guys in a bicycle shop in Ohio creating a contraption that actually flew. Don’t discount a small company making giant strides.
Sure, small companies can do great stuff, but you have to wonder what’s up when the MARKETING numbers are unimpressive. For comparison:
RQ-1 Predator:
Carries: 2x Hellfire
Endurance: 24 hours
Service Ceiling: 25,000 feet
A ducted fan-based UAV is going to have a lower service ceiling, and be much louder. So even if all their claims are true, they’ve produced a noisy, low flying, poor endurance craft with no improvement in armaments. Unimpressive, to say the least.
Lift fan technology has improved quite well. JSF is going into production some time around 2010 and as an aviation engineer the math does add up on the Battlehog aircraft, there is a good chance they might fly a full flight envelope
My name is Michael K., I am from American Dynamics Corp.
1- 65 Broadway is an office building not an apt. building. the writer should have looked into this first
2- Verizon listing catagory was automatically selected by Verizon
3- ADC was officially incorporated on 1/31/2001, again the writer should have looked into this
4- The website is http://www.americandynamics.us
5- It is not a liftfan we are aviation engineers who designed a compressor lift turbine
6- Without fresh thinking the aviation world would remain stagnant
7- We wish the writer did a little research and not impose a biased opinion, we would like to invite him to our aircraft manufacturing facility.
Investors beware…from what I hear, these guys are a bunch of low level techies looking to make money at your expense.
I think a good old fashioned investigation might bring interesting facts to the light about the company. Has anybody done any real research regarding the supposed “hull technology” in ” the development of high speed marine vessel ride control and stabilisation technologies”? Registering a patent doesn’t imply either that you have created anything but drawings and definitely not that you have been successful at manufacturing or selling the “invention” Maybe an interview with ex-partners?
what happen to the americandynamics and thier website ,, e-mail … last I heard they where on test flights and then the whole E-site when down ….anyone have any news ???
Maybe the FBI finally caught up with their act.