Development > Artwork

UAV Model

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Psawhn:
I had a conventional UAV model floating around my hard drive for another purpose, and I figured I might as well retool it as well as try out some new texturing techniques.

(Thumbnails are clickable)



The UAV has divertless intakes (like on the F-22/35) and a swing-wing design, which should allow it to have rapid deployment at supersonic speeds, then a long loiter time. The exhaust nozzle shows that the engine has a high bypass ratio, for higher efficiency.

Hammer away on the crits, Winter. :D

Edit: The polycount's 800 triangles.

Zorlen:
I was currently thinking on a scout UAV design myself, and I like this one! Would it be scout of fighter drone?

And should UAVs have VTOL capacity the same way manned aircrafts do? In this case I can suggest making tail exhaust vectored (it already looks vectored thrust anyway) and adding additional one closer to the nose part (or is there one there already?). I have F-35 schematic in mind:
http://www.flightglobal.com/ImageArchive/Galleries/Cutaways/Military%20Aviation/Military%20Aviation%201946-2006/images/Lockheed-Martin-F-35.jpg

Psawhn:
I had in mind a reconnaissance craft when I designed this - you can see the black dome for the camera (I should add some more visible sensor packages, mainly white spheres and stuff) I don't really think it has the payload capacity for weapons. Certainly not internally.

I also didn't design it with VTOL capability, either.  From what I remember of the descriptions, it's actually the UN that takes care of the UAVs, and all the Phalanx commander does is ask for a base to be set up at a specified location.

I just realized it could probably be launched from a flatbed truck, either railgun or rocket assisted, then recovered in a nearby field. This UAV can be only 4-5 metres long. The smaller size would make it much more mobile than a larger craft with VTOL - all you need to do is helicopter out a couple trucks for the launch platform and command station, maybe some extra fuel, and you've got a new operating base.

Zorlen:
I agree that small UGVs dont need VTOL to be launched, but maybe hover capacity is a must for all in-game flyers? Though given a geoscape scale, an aircraft that is shown hovering on a spot can very well circle around.

And I've seen that black dome, but didn't know if it is a camera or auxillary VTOL engine. As for sensors - maybe add something like AWACS antenna?

Winter:
I actually really like it, and since we're planning to incorporate PHALANX-controlled UAVs, we can certainly find a use for it!

Currently on the books are one scout UAV (for which this one would be perfect) and one fighter UAV.

Also, given the swing-wing design and its sleek form factor, it would almost certainly have VSTOL capability that would be no problem for a PHALANX hangar.

Regards,
Winter

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