RPV's
(Remote Piloted Vehicles)
Atomic Energy
Commission (AEC) Sandia Laboratories:
In 1963 our
associates began work on various projects with the AEC that would span
over eight years of research. During this time associates designed,
built, and flew various RPV's that would fulfill a number of missions.
Fact - Ted White
was an early pioneer of RPV's. He designed, built, and flew with some of
the first proportional transmitters. Prior to the proportional
transmitter RPV pilots used a reeds system, which incorporated a series
of switches that gave all or nothing inputs to the flight controls.
Mission Parameters:
Tracking
Mount Target Drone - Piloted RPV's that were sited and tracked by early
automated-tracking mounts.
Telemetric
Data Acquisition - Designed RPV's capable of carrying telemetric
recording equipment as well as piloting the missions.
Bomb
Delivery Testing - Simulated various bomb delivery techniques. Such
techniques ranged from horizontal to full vertical bomb releases.
Soft
Delivery Systems Development - Designed and piloted aircraft capable of
soft delivering packages of varying weights and shapes. Soft delivery
techniques required skilled piloting wherein the RPV deposited packages,
to the ground from flight, through a parachute tethering mechanism. The
RPV would perform a low level pass and release a drag chute connected to
a long line that trailed the aircraft. The package would then slide down
the length of the line and land on the ground with extremely low forward
velocity.
Fixed
Wing "Heavy-Lift" Techniques - Piloted RPV's in such a way
that a weighted line could be dangled from the aircraft and attached to
heavy cargo. Sandia developed a technique of circling above the lift
zone in a tight banking pattern; this caused the lifting line to settle
in one location, while a ground technician attached the line to cargo.
The RPV would then gain altitude while remaining in a tight circle until
a sufficient height was reached for level flight. The process was then
reversed for air-to-ground delivery.
Aerial
Surveillance Development - Developed and designed various RPV's that
would carry on board recording equipment for surveillance purposes.
Remote
Delivery Spy Devices Development - Designed an RPV capable of lifting
and delivering relatively massive spy devices. These devices would
penetrate the ground upon impact, and relay information to remote
monitoring locations. Some of these devices were disguised as bushes,
shrubs, etc. Similar devices were subsequently used in Vietnam.
Loral Vought
Systems (Formerly LTV):
In 1989 our
associates worked closely with Loral Vought Systems, then LTV, on a
series of multi-role drones. These drones were designed to fit in a
large bomb or missile that would release several drones, once over the
combat zone, that would then seek out various targets and dive into
them; destroying them.
This project spanned
over two years and included four experimental drones and several display
models. The drones were fitted with various types of sensory equipment,
and incorporated some autonomous flight technology. Our associates designed,
built, maintained, and piloted every experimental RPV relating to this
project.
Drone Profiles:
Giant Killer -
This aircraft was designed and built completely in house by our
associates. The purpose of the Giant Killer was to
"piggy-back" a smaller UAV, the sub-munitions prototype,
to a sufficient altitude where it was dropped and then piloted.
Sub-munitions
prototype - Nicknamed "Blivot", this compact aircraft's
primary objective was to seek out a designated target, once
released, and dive toward it. Once the Blivot was directly over the
target, it would either collide with the target or simply explode
above it, depending on the munitions specifications. The design
parameters for the prototype our associates produced called for
basic flight from a specified altitude with a parachute recovery
system. One Blivot was produced and conducted numerous successful
test flights without major incident.
Pathfinder -
The Pathfinder was the "eye-in-the-sky" for the Blivots.
The role of the Pathfinder was to scan the target area and designate
which Blivot would attack what target. After all sub-munitions were
delivered, the Pathfinder would then dive into any remaining target.
The prototype produced by our associates was equipped with flight
data input equipment, onboard computers, and an in-flight camera.
The primary objective for the test vehicle was to test autonomous
flight capabilities. The Pathfinder flew several successful missions
and provided valuable information for LTV and was the catalyst to
it's successor, the Validator.
Validator - The
Validator was the final RPV in this project. It performed the same
duties as the Pathfinder, and was designed under the same
parameters. The Validator was a much-improved Pathfinder. This
aircraft was flown until the projects end without major incident.
Sport
Aircraft, Display Models, and Mold Production
Galaxy RPV associates
have been developing aircraft construction and mold technologies for
projects ranging from mass production remote control aircraft to intricate
outdoor and indoor display models; both large scale and micro scale.
Services include
custom plug development, mold design, mold construction, aircraft design
and construction; mass production tooling also available. Recent display
model projects include the 1/25 scale C-5 Galaxy Super Cargo Transport,
1/15 scaleC-130 Hercules, 1/10 and 1/20 scale F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1/20
scale YF-22 Raptor, 1/20 scale JSF (Joint Strike Fighter, Lockheed
version), and several scale and non-scale sport aircraft.
Sport aircraft play
a large role in the development of flight skills such as precision aerobatics,
unpredictable pilot contingency scenarios (engine cut-outs, weather,
heavy traffic, etc), and test vehicle development. Other implicit skills
are aircraft engineering and design, construction techniques, aircraft
electronics development, etc.
