The Schiebel Camcopter S-100 UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) is a relatively new addition to the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) field and is currently attracting the interest of several high-profile names around the world. While the primary example in the world of drones today is primarily conventional takeoff and landing, the Camcopter is a rotary-wing system with characteristics more similar to a helicopter, allowing true vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) rather than the use of long-start takeoffs and landing. and runway needs.
This greatly expands the operational range of such drones, providing discerning drone customers with a multi-faceted, versatile platform that can meet a variety of mission requirements regardless of terrain. The Camcopter S-100 has also been touted as a solution that goes beyond military deployment and can be used in conjunction with law enforcement and civilian services.
For example, such VTOL systems can be used for anti-smuggling operations, environmental disasters, data collection or real-time information reporting.
Austria-based Schiebel, the company behind the Camcopter S-100, was founded in electronics in 1951 and moved into military products in the 1980s, particularly developing mine detectors for the battlefield. Siebel then experimented with drones in the 1990s, eventually delivering his S-100 in 2005.
The first customer for the S-100 was the United Arab Emirates, but there has recently been interest from the German, Pakistani and French navies. The S-100 is produced at the Schiebel Wiener Neustadt plant in southern Vienna.
The Camcopter S-100 showed a very interesting design with a shapely "teardrop" body. The nose is well-proportioned, with a large grille array on top and vents on the lower part. The deep part of the fuselage contains the power plant, while the bottom part of the fuselage houses the variable payload facility. The fin is essentially a short tail segment bounded by the dorsal and ventral vertical caudal fins. The dorsal fin also has vertical tail fins arranged in a "T" shape.
When the S-100 is at rest, the ventral caudal fin doubles as a tail glide in the three-point stance. The landing gear consists of a tail skid and a pair of wheelless front main landing gear legs. The dual-blade main rotor assembly is located low on the fuselage spine, while the dual-blade tail rotor (used to counteract the inherent torque twist caused by the main rotor blades) is located on the port side of the aircraft.
The S-100 construction includes the use of composite materials with reinforced internal structures to withstand the rigors and abuses of the battlefield - even in a maritime environment. Dimensionally, the S-100's barrel measures 10 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3.65 feet high.
In terms of performance, the Camcopter S-100 is certified to carry payloads of up to 110 pounds, has a mission endurance of 6 hours, and has a line-of-sight (GGS) range of up to 124 miles (Los Angeles). These specifications allow the camcopter to adapt to various payload adjustments while performing long-duration missions on the station. It has a maximum service cap of 18,000 feet, and an optional fuel tank can increase its runtime to over 10 hours. Additionally, the VTOL nature of the Camcopter S-100 means the system can be launched and recovered from a land or sea base, unlike other traditional drones that require a runway.
This quality has attracted interest from several global navies, and the S-100's ruggedness has proven to be true, especially in harsh maritime environments. Power is provided by a 50-horsepower rotary engine capable of reaching speeds of 138 mph for short periods of time (for optimum handling endurance).
Complete S-100 kit includes GCS with applicable high performance laptop, software and pilot controls, and officially supports up to two S-100 UAS. The S-100 can be equipped with a variety of electro-optical and infrared camera system payloads from different manufacturers, and recently radar systems have become an optional accessory for S-100 customers. Other mission-specific payloads may include loudspeakers, communications repeaters, laser scanners, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), high-powered searchlights and sensors.
While not normally armed, the S-100 demonstrated a Light Multipurpose Missile (LMM) system mounted on the starboard side, suggesting this VTOL drone will be capable of a variety of battlefield roles beyond the usual reconnaissance and surveillance missions. other drones. In addition to its standard payload, the S-100 can also carry sub-payloads for airdrops.
This comes in handy when Allied personnel need to supply supplies "behind enemy lines" or throw smoke to cover advancing/retreating.
The S-100 can be manually managed during a mission, or it can operate fully autonomously without human intervention, taking off and commuting to and from preset mission waypoints before self-landing. Ground operators can intervene at any time during S-100 operations to accommodate mission changes. If the operator loses control of the drone, the S-100 will be equipped with an "Auto Home Point Recovery" feature.
Navigate using inertial navigation systems and global positioning systems.
- Close Air Support (CAS)
- driverless
10.20 ft (3.11 m)
11.48 ft (3.5 m)
3.67 ft (1.12 m)
110 kg
200 kg
137 mph (220 km/h; 119 knots)
18,045 ft (5,500 m; 3.42 mi)
112 miles (180 km; 97 nmi)
No. The mission payload consists primarily of sensors, optics, and mission-specific equipment such as speakers and searchlights. Two available mount points.
The proposed weapon configuration is shown together with a light air-to-surface missile.
S-100 "Camcopter" - Base Series Name