Arcturus T-20

Arcturus T-20
T-20 with ISR camera extended Camp Roberts, California
Role	Runway independent tactical reconnaissance UAV
Manufacturer	Arcturus-UAV, LLC
First flight	Jan 28th, 2009 Edwards Air Force Base
Introduction	2009
Primary user	United States Navy
Number built	20 + Delivered/160 Planned

The Arcturus T-20 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a medium range, fully composite aircraft capable of internal and external payloads. Launched from a portable catapult, it can be recovered with a shipboard landing system, or belly land on unimproved surfaces. The T-20 carries a retractable gimbal-mounted, digitally stabilized, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera that relays video in real time via a C-band LOS data link to the ground control station (GCS). Powered by a 4-stroke, fuel injected gasoline engine, the aircraft burns 2 lbs of fuel per hour at cruise. The T-20 does not require an airfield to operate and lands on dirt, grass, desert, or gravel roads. The internal payload bay (11"x11"x36") allows for sensor arrays to be pre-assembled on 'payload pallets' that attach from the bottom of the aircraft. The T-20 system includes three aircraft, ground control station, portable launcher, and support trailer for equipment and personnel. The airframe is entirely composite with complex wet wings tested to stresses of 10 G's.

Development

T-20 ready to launch at Camp Roberts, California

The Arcturus-UAV T-20 was privately developed in 2009 in Rohnert Park, California as an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform with payload capacity for a gimbal camera, and wing mounted drop pods. Flight testing of the prototype T-20 was completed at Edwards Air Force Base in February 2009. The first air drop test was completed in August 2009 at Camp Roberts California with payloads provided by the Naval Postgraduate School. October 2009 The T-20 flew air drops at the 2009 Precision Airdrop Technology Conference and Demonstration(PATCAD)^[1] at Yuma Proving Ground in support of the Naval Postgraduate School Snowflake^[2] guided para foil.

Operation

In March 2012 the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) included the Arcturus T-20 UAV in a multi-award IDIQ contract N00019-12-D-0010^[3] for ISR Services. Arcturus UAV, LLC is a sub contractor to Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) under this contract.

California October 24, 2012 the Arcturus T-20 became part of aviation history as the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to see and avoid a general aviation manned aircraft using an ADS-B transponder. The event was sponsored by the Cascade Chapter of AUVSI.^[4]

In August 2013, the T-20 flew to an altitude of 23,500 ft with no special modifications. The previous altitude record for the T-20 was 15,000 ft. The aircraft flew for 8 hours before landing.^[5]

The T-20 and T-20 JUMP are deployed extensively with the Mexican Navy.

The T-20 is deployed with the Turkish government.

Variants

Variations of the T-20 are the Block I (Carburetor) and Block II (Fuel Injected).

Specifications

Data from Arcturus UAV T-20^[6]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 man ground crew
• Length: 9 ft 5 in (2.9 m)
• Wingspan: 17 ft 6 in (5.3 m)
• Height: 3.0 ft in (1 m)
• Empty weight: 110 lb (50 kg)
• Gross weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × 1 Aviation Gasoline Avgas 110 LL 4 stroke internal combustion, 190cc, 10 hp (7.5 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 86 mph (139 km/h)
• Range: 55 LOS miles (89 km)
• Endurance: 10-20 hours
• Service ceiling: 7,620 (rated), 25,000 (proven) ft (4,572 (rated), 25,000 (proven) m)

See also

• AeroVironment RQ-14 Dragon Eye
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
• Unmanned combat aerial vehicle

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• AAI RQ-7 Shadow
• Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack
• Boeing Insitu ScanEagle

Related lists

• List of active United States military aircraft

References

• This article contains material that originally came from the web article Sagetech, Arcturus Team to Demonstrate Joint Ops With ADS-B by Brett Davis, October 24, 2012, which exists in the Public Domain.
• This article contains material that originally came from the web article Arcturus Unmanned Aerial Vehicle by Marine Sgt. Rocky Smith, which exists in the Public Domain.
• This article contains material that originally came from the web article Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.
• This article contains material that originally came from the web article Pentagon to Test Guided Parachute Drops From UAVs by PM Staff June 2009, which exists in the Public Domain.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arcturus T-20.

• Popular Mechanics T-20 UAV
• Arcturus T-20