Aurora Flight Sciences Orion

History

In the world of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)often referred to by their generic collective term dronesthe challenge is to develop a well-performing medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) platform for military use Within the procurement budget and long-term operating costs. There are a few notable "in development" long-range examples, most notably the Boeing Phantom Eye and the addition of the AeroVironment Global Observer, both multi-engine hydrogen solutions. A relatively new competitor in the MALE space is Orion, proposed by Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, Virginia.

The aircraft is currently under development (September 2013) and is expected to deliver an additional 120 hours of endurance while carrying a 1,000-pound payload at an altitude of 20,000 feet.

The inherent advantages of long-lived UAVs are evident when one considers the reduced costs associated with the platform, without the need to continually return to base, land, refit and refuel before continuing on the same mission. The unmanned nature of the system also doesn't expose pilots to unnecessary danger when traversing enemy territory.

Coupled with advanced autonomous capabilities, modern MALE drones can perform multiple missions with fewer dedicated personnel and lower operating costs, requiring fewer repeated landings on a single mission. From the looks of it, the Orion has taken its first steps towards achieving the proposed project goal of 120/1,000/20,000, which coincides with the US military's increasing quest for high-endurance unmanned vehicles.

The possibilities for military (as well as civilian) applications of such systems continue to increase.

It should be emphasized that the Orion is seen more as a surveillance-oriented platform (more in line with Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk family) than as an armed fighter in the Predator series .

Aurora Flight Sciences was founded in 1989 by engineer John S. Langford III and currently employs approximately 350 people at four key locations. This focus began with the development of unmanned aerial systems to collect data related to climate change.

It also provides components for Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk program as well as several in-service Sikorsky helicopter products. It has also launched its own line of drones, including Perseus, Theseus, Chiron, MarsFlyer, GoldenEye, Excaliber, SunLight Eagle, Odysseus, and of course the new Orion.

The Orion employs traditional aircraft form, including a centralized fuselage layout, monoplane wings, and a traditional tail. The fuselage is slightly oversized in appearance to accommodate mission gear, avionics, fuel storage, etc., while showing the side panels and an aerodynamically modified nose section (somewhat mimicking the Global Hawk).

The wing shape is straight, flexible and has a wide span. They are constructed as one-piece carbon fiber attachments that sit high on the fuselage to generate enough lift and improve engine clearance. Engine nacelles are suspended below each wing unit, near each side of the fuselage. The fuselage then tapers upwards to form a circular butt with a fixed tail. The tail consists of a vertical rudder and a pair of horizontal planes set forward.

The landing gear can only be partially retracted, as the front legs (single-wheel units) retract back into the fuselage, while the main legs (single-wheels) are held in place while its wheels are wrapped in aerodynamic shrouds. Power is provided by 2 Austro Engine AE300 series turbodiesel engines, which are considered a fuel efficient solution for an airframe of this size and mission range, and also allow Orion to run on conventional aviation fuel (instead of the Phantom Eye/Global Observer in hydrogen). ).

The Orion originated from a 2006 U.S. Army initiative that initially called for the use of an unarmed hydrogen-powered airborne surveillance platform to meet High Altitude and Long Stay (HALL) requirements. In 2008, Aurora approached the U.S.

Air Force for interest in a mid-size version of its Orion product, which was redesigned to run on conventional diesel power. Given enough interest, the U.S. Air Force awarded a development contract to further explore the Orion MALE.

For now, Orion is expected to offer a plethora of autonomous and modular payload capabilities. In the military realm, the aircraft will only be used in surveillance/reconnaissance/intelligence gathering roles (such as the Global Hawk) and its payload will be used through the use of specialized cameras, optics, sensors and collection equipment (i.e. the Orion is not intended to be used as an armed "hunter" Killer" UAV/UCAV).

The goal of the program is to provide payload capabilities comparable to General Atomics' proven Predator family, which has served U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq usefully.

Orion made its first announced flight on August 24, 2013, without a scheduled mission payload. The exercise lasted 3 hours and 31 minutes and reached an altitude of 8,000 feet (mean sea level), paving the way for more ambitious tests.

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