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The Sikorsky Cypher I hovers a few feet above the ground during a test flight undertaken by the US Army. US Army The Sikorsky Cypher I hovers a few feet above the ground during a test flight undertaken by the US Army. US Army and the first was the UAV’s relatively slow speed in forward flight due to the total reliance on rotor thrust for this function. There were also problems of occasional nose-up pitching which needed to be addressed. The solution to these difficulties seemed to be a separate rotor for level flight and alterations to the aerodynamics of the UAV’s toroidal fuselage. Another method of counteracting the nose-up pitching moment in this design was by using short wings capa- ble of generating additional lift. By late 1998 James Cycon had come up with a host of improvements to the original design that would correct most of these prob- lems, and in addition it was now possible to provide the UAV with a top speed of 144mph (232km/h), a range of 115 miles (185km) and the ability to loiter for two hours. The payload capability could be marginally increased to 45 lb (20.4kg) and the dimensions would be revised to a length of 6ft (1.83m) with a wingspan of 8ft 7in (2.62m); these measure- ments still allowed the entire system to be Assembly of these prototypes began at Strat- Raytheon will use its experience gained transported by one Humvee and its trailer. ford, Connecticut, with a small amount of during systems development for the Globa This revised design, which used an additional | work being completed at West Palm Beach, Hawk and Predator to provide advanced ducted pusher propeller and (optional) Florida. However, in 2002 the Defense multi-spectral sensors, weapons systems and stubby wings, was named Cypher II. Two pro- Advanced’ Research Projects Agency improved command and control technology. totypes plus their ground stations were (DARPA), who sponsored this project, This should lead to a low-observable vehicle ordered for further testing by the US Marine — decided to withdraw funding and Cypherwas capable of conducting offensive operations Corps in September 1999, under a $5.46 mil- subsequently abandoned. Nevertheless, with a high degree of autonomy. The other lion contract. Sikorsky Aircraft is now teamed with defence contractors competing include Cypher II was now re-named Dragon War-_ Raytheon to develop a new all-weather Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter Textron, rior by the US Marine Corps Warfighting Lab- remotely controlled vehicle for the US Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The final oratory (MCWL), who took outan option with Marine’s Unmanned Combat Armed Rotor- _ phase should be completed in 2009, with an Sikorsky for ten additional production UAVs. craft [UCAR] project. operational system ready by 2012. Assembly of these prototypes began at Strat- Raytheon will use its experience gained ford, Connecticut, with a small amount of | during systems development for the Global work being completed at West Palm Beach, Hawk and Predator to provide advanced Florida. However, in 2002 the Defense multi-spectral sensors, weapons systems and Advanced Research Projects Agency improved command and control technology. (DARPA), who sponsored this project, This should lead to a low-observable vehicle decided to withdraw funding and Cypherwas capable of conducting offensive operations subsequently abandoned. Nevertheless, with a high degree of autonomy. The other Sikorsky Aircraft is now teamed with defence contractors competing include Raytheon to develop a new all-weather Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter Textron, remotely controlled vehicle for the US Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The final Marine’s Unmanned Combat Armed Rotor- phase should be completed in 2009, with an craft [UCAR] project. operational system ready by 2012. [Ele SetUp Mode View Help _SetUp Mode View _ Help | L OOC/OO NAT me 01700) W Pan Scan Motion Scan F Panorama Images \ HiRes Images Laser Range \ PM Alerts | U Acoustic Filters See For Help, press F1 Fans and Ducts 153 Software used to control Cypher I. This runs under a normal Windows operating system on a laptop computer. US Army Images returned (top) from the sensor system fitted to the Sikorsky Cypher I UAV. US Army