The CAMCOPTER is propelled by a two-stroke petrol engine ideal for harsh environments at all altitudes

SEC's CAMCOPTERÔ UAV is being evaluated for a variety of roles in several international R&D programmes. The company has been awarded a contract for a high-resolution infra red surveillance variant of its UAV under the US Army's broad agency announcement for humanitarian demining. The role of the variant will be to provide a multi-capability platform to demonstrate mine-detection and clearance technologies for humanitarian demining.
The contract was awarded under the auspices of the department of the army, communication electronics command (CECOM), night vision and electronics sensors directorate (NVESD), countermine division, Fort Belvoir, and an on-site flight demonstration was performed at the invitation of NVESD director Dr Louis Marquet. During the demonstration, extended routes were flown over Fort Belvoir and the Potomac River and participants carried out hands-on manual-flight manoeuvres to confirm the simplicity and safety of CAMCOPTERÔ . These factors and its ease of operation give the UAV an edge over comparable systems.

CAMCOPTERÔ is an evolving family of systems comprising the helicopter air vehicle, a ground station, interchangeable customised payloads and an optional sensor control unit. All variants have the same basic flight capability that includes autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) to eliminate the need for launch and/or recovery equipment. Pre-selected routes can be programmed for autonomous operation but its fail-safe flight-monitoring system means operation can be carried out manually. Also it is possible to carry out a combination of autonomous and manual-flight programmes by using standard real-time flight data, the air vehicle is automatically flight-stabilised in both modes. The accuracy and repeatability of plus or minus one metre of true position over all its flight paths is impressive. It includes the Hover mode and enables the UAV to track moving objects or to maintain a stationary position for several hours. This accuracy is achieved by the use of an on-board inertial navigation system (INS) and the differential global positioning system (GPS). All flight data is transmitted back to the ground station in real time. If necessary the system is sufficiently flexible to respond rapidly to a need for in-flight mission changes.
The low weight of the portable ground station and the small size and light weight of the air vehicle means the system can be operated by only two men. However, it is recommended that long-term operations are carried out by three people.
The system and crew can be transported in a light/medium utility vehicle or in a small vehicle and trailer. Coupled with its ease of deployment from unprepared take-off/ landing sites, this enables CAMCOPTERÔ to carry out a wide range of military, police and civilian applications.
CAMCOPTERÔ flight performance depends on flight duration and payload requirements. With its high-resolution, 360-degree rotating field of view, gimbals mounted, stabilised dual-sensor IR/CCD package, a flight time of at least three hours over a radius of 10km can be achieved. This can be increased to a radius of 80km with an optional enhanced data link. With the air vehicle's top speed of 96km per hour and at an altitude of up to 2,000 metres, a flight of this duration and range can cover a considerable area. A lighter payload increases flight duration, heavier loads decrease flight time. The maximum payload is 25kg and payloads can be tailored to meet requirements.
The wide range of applications being evaluated include close-range surveillance, minefield and surface ordnance survey, reconnaissance, forest fire and/or river-flood monitoring, border patrols, target acquisition and designation, route monitoring and radio relay.
CAMCOPTERÔ is durable, reliable and easy to maintain, resulting in a user-friendly system. It has a variety of features that include a modular design concept to enable ease of interchange, update and/or maintenance and replacement. State-of-the-art, lightweight and high-strength materials are used for the construction of the airframe and an intelligent on-board power management system controls the three on-board alternators and rechargeable back-up battery. The system complies with the relevant Mil standard 810E requirements for vibration, shock and altitude. CAMCOPTERÔ offers Windows-compatible software for ground- station functions, standard connectors and data ports throughout the system and a simple, proven long-life power pack for the airframe. CAMCOPTER is in full-scale production and is available early in 1998 but will continue to be developed to meet the needs of potential customers. A more advanced power pack providing 200W of electrical power is nearing completion and a larger airframe with bigger payload also is in development. Different payloads that include laser range finders and relays are at an advanced stage.
Current customers will benefit from the development programme and software improvements and updates will be made available on request via the internet. They also will have access to non-confidential payloads as they become available that will be interchangeable with existing payloads