RunRyder - Navy News Release on Fire Scout

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UAV Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles > Navy News Release on Fire Scout

jdowns
Heliman
Location: San Diego, CA

Our new MQ-8B model just completed its first set of autonomous hover tests & waypoint navigation out at Pax River in Maryland...

http://pao.navair.navy.mil/press_re...3633&site_id=13

- James

12-20-2006 Over year old.

DKTek
Senior Heliman
Location: Melbourne, FL-USA

Sweet! Nice gymbal, looks familiar.

12-25-2006 Over year old.

fitenfyr
rrProfessor
Location: Port Orchard, Washington

How would you like to kick that thing into fast forward flight.

Jason Stiffey
Fly Fast....Live Slow...

12-27-2006 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

jdowns
Heliman
Location: San Diego, CA

Quote
How would you like to kick that thing into fast forward flight.

I'll actually get to see some of that next week... This helicopter, by the way, is 100% autonomous... in that, no "manual" flight mode even exists... there is no "safety pilot" in the loop. I was the autopilot designer of this model Fire Scout so it's been pretty satisfying to see how well it's been doing thus far. It's hover has been described as "rock solid" with no visual perturbations.

- James

12-27-2006 Over year old.

ESWLFSE
Elite Veteran
Location: Bradenton, FL USA

I'm not too fond of the flying submarine look but I guess its appropriate.

Congrats!

12-27-2006 Over year old.

Perry Kavros
Senior Heliman
Location: San Jose, CA

Hey James,

First off , congratulations on the flights tests, I know it's quite an achievement what you've accomplished.
A few years back I trained a few of the Northrup guys to fly the RMAX I'm just curious if you guys are still doing any research with the helicopters.
I wish you guys the very best I know how difficult it can be a times and how sweet it is when things go your way.

Happy New Year

Perry Kavros

12-27-2006 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

jdowns
Heliman
Location: San Diego, CA

Perry,

It's funny you should bring up the RMax's... I was actually asked very recently to lead a team getting the RMax program back online - as a side effort. It has been dormant for over two years. Send me a PM to discuss further...

Altimat,

The mechanics are just an unmanned version of the Schweizer 333 turbine...

http://www.sacusa.com/helicopters/333.asp

- James

12-28-2006 Over year old.

ESWLFSE
Elite Veteran
Location: Bradenton, FL USA

It looks a lot more like a heli and less like a sub in those pics.

12-28-2006 Over year old.

dhollein
Key Veteran
Location: Tucson, AZ

I saw an episode of "Future Weapons" on Discovery Last night that had a segment about the Fire Scout... Very very cool!

01-17-2007 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

richardf
Veteran
Location: San Diego, CA Posts: Billions and Billions

Congratulations

That is certainly a great milestone.

Sent you a PM.

-Richard Felkins...

02-07-2007 Over year old.

hondaboy945
Senior Heliman
Location: Orlando, FL

The episode said that there is a manual mode on the heli, but it is just for weapon deployment. I guess that you cannot trust the machine 100% too not kill you.

02-09-2007 Over year old.

jdowns
Heliman
Location: San Diego, CA

Quote
The episode said that there is a manual mode on the heli, but it is just for weapon deployment.

Yeah, the aerial vehicle operator can send in-flight commands to the heli... but at a very high-level... such as "launch", "land", "head to new waypoint", etc... There is no way to just take over full manual control, however, and start remote flying the heli from a transmitter. The autopilot is always in control.

- James

02-10-2007 Over year old.

hondaboy945
Senior Heliman
Location: Orlando, FL

Cool. I should have read a little further. Thanks for the clarification.

02-11-2007 Over year old.

ESWLFSE
Elite Veteran
Location: Bradenton, FL USA

jdowns - Can you tell us briefly how you came to be involved in this project? Thanks!

02-11-2007 Over year old.

jdowns
Heliman
Location: San Diego, CA

Quote
jdowns - Can you tell us briefly how you came to be involved in this project? Thanks!

I have done guidance & control work at Boeing, Raytheon, and Northrop on programs ranging from the exo-atmospheric kill vehicle for the national missile defense system to next-generation hellfire missiles with tri-mode seekers to active protection weapon systems for small area and vehicle defense... I joined NGC about a year and a half ago just as they were beginning the design of the new model MQ-8B Fire Scout and was put in charge of its autopilot design. I've actually written a paper that will be published in the American Helicopter Society describing the method I used... employing a genetic algorithm to optimize the autopilot controller. It's already been accepted... just awaiting final approval from NGC management.