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Products T-15
| Wing Span | 10' 10" |
| Length | 6' 0" |
| Engine | Honda 50cc 4-stroke |
| Dry Weight | 28 lb |
| Max Weight | Up to 45 lb |
| Max Speed | 90 knots |
| Cruise Speed | 50 knots | Payload Capacity | Up to 10 lb |
A High-Performance, Application Configurable UAV
The T-15 is a high-performance UAV configurable for different payloads, with different propulsion (gasoline engines, electric motor), and for different missions (standard ISR, hover & stare, high altitude, etc.). The T-15 can be customized for almost any application a Tier-II class UAV performs. The T-15 can be configured for standard surveillance and reconnaissance missions using the efficient Honda GX-50 engine and the new Cloud Cap TASE gimbal system for day or night coverage; for specialized vertical takeoff and hover and stare missions with the powerful 3W 56cc motor; and for high altitude, low noise, using a specialized, battery-powered electric motor.
Rugged Airframe
The T-15 is constructed of fiberglass, Kevlar, and carbon fiber. Arcturus UAV’s proprietary Hollow Molded process produces an airframe of unequalled ruggedness capable of withstanding harsh field operations typical of the small UAV environment. The T-15 is service friendly: the engine module, wings, and rear stabilizer are all designed to be easily removed for service or exchange.
Power Options
Standard on the T-15 is the Honda GX-50 4-stroke gasoline engine. Maximum speed is 90 knots, cruise 50 knots, and loiter 30 knots. With standard carburetion the operating ceiling of the T-15 is 12,000 ft density altitude, but the airplane can be configured with an electric motor power plant giving it virtually unlimited ceiling capability. Higher power engines like the 3W 56cc motor are also available.
Large Payload Area
The payload area of the T-15 is shared with the available fuel space. The total area is a contiguous 6.75” x 6.75” x 16”, providing 729 cu. in. of space for a wide variety of potential payload and fuel loads. Payload weights can be up to approximately 10 lb.
Electrical Flexibility
The T-15 can be configured with a variety of generators that can supply a number of voltages for all avionics and payloads on a continuous basis. Battery backup for avionics is standard and also available for payload.
Avionics
The T-15 is integrated with Cloud Cap Technology’s GPS based Piccolo II autopilot. The Piccolo II provides autonomous launch, flight and landing. Piccolo II’s built-in MicroHard transmitter provides 12 miles of Command & Control (C2) communication range, and a military version provides a range of 23 miles. An Iridium (satellite) transceiver can be used to augment communication and increases C2 range, providing global C2 coverage. Another C2 option is Raytheon’s MicroLight transceiver which has a singular range of 300 miles, and can be augmented with up to six repeaters. Additionally, the MicroLight can be configured to transmit still or low rate video images. In the event of interrupted C2 communication the Piccolo II continues to execute a stored pre-planned mission and returns to land at a pre-determined location autonomously.
Catapult Launch
The T-15 is launched from an Arcturus UAV pneumatic catapult that uses either compressed air or nitrogen. The trailer mounted launcher has enough room to hold the cases for the T-15 and its spares, accessories and tools, and a portable version is also available.
Ground Station
Arcturus UAV’s portable ground control station provides ground support and control of the Piccolo II autopilot. The rugged carrying case contains a laptop computer that is used to display onboard telemetry and to modify mission parameters during flight. The carrying case has a position for a second laptop for control of imaging or communication payloads.
Sensor Packages
A number of sensor packages are offered on the T-15 including the TASE stabilized gimbal from Cloud Cap with EO and/or IR cameras for day/night viewing. All EO sensing systems use the Sony Block camera shown above, and either 320 x 240 or 640 x 480 IR sensors (subject to ITAR regulations). Digital or analog video transmission is provided with each video sensor package.
System Health & Diagnostics
The following avionics diagnostic information and meteorological sensor suite data is provided by the autopilot and displayed on the Ground Control Station:
T - The temperature of the main board in the autopilot in degrees Celsius . These boards have been tested by the manufacturer to operate between –40 to 85°C (-40 to 185°F).
Received Signal Strength (RSSI). The receive signal strength indicator from the MicroHard radio (avionics data link) displays in units of dBm. Link quality is presented as a percentage from 0 to 100, which represents the acknowledgment ratio.
Electrical Status. The following are displayed: Input current to the main board in the autopilot in amps; input voltage to the main board in the autopilot in volts. Provision is made to read servo voltages and currents, and a value called “Internal” is a composite signal of all the internal voltages on the avionics.
Winds. The winds group displays the latest data from the wind-finding engine by maneuver calculation. The time of the wind calculation is also provided, as is estimated wind error.
Navigation System Health: This critical data is displayed in detail, updating several important parameters regarding the Kalman filter that estimates the attitude of the vehicle and the gyro biases. The Piccolo II autopilot employs the ublox TIM-LP programmable GPS receiver module (ANTARIS Positioning Engine). This GPS receiver is fully EMI shielded and is tightly integrated into the Piccolo II autopilot. This GPS receiver has 16 channels and an update rate of 4 Hz. Its position accuracy is 2.5 meters (CEP), and when using Differential GPS/SBAS the accuracy is 2.0 meters CEP.