Development of efficient terminals for UAV ground operations.
It may seems as if flight in unmanned aircraft accounts is most complex aspect of UAV operations, but the necessary integration with ground operations at aerodromes can’t be ignored. While many of the unmanned aircraft, such as mini or micro UAVs, do not require infrastructure for launching and recovering, RPAs typically require installations similar to those of manned aircraft.
Still many people see UAVs simply as model airplanes, similar to those used for recreation, especially when they have not had the opportunity to see them flying or being next to a MALE or HALE type UAV. However, when considering their dimensions you can change your vision. For example, the Heron TP or also called Eitan, has a length of 14 meters (46 feet) and a wingspan of 26 meters (85 feet) http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/uav/heron/heron.html or the NorthropGrumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, which has a length of 13.4 meters (44 feet), and wingspan of 35.32 meters (116 feet). http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/aircraft/GlobalHawk/ (In relation, an Airbus A 320-200 has a wingspan of 34.1 meters (112 feet)).
The Herón TP and the RQ-4 are military aircraft so their ground control stations are protected by the military’s own protection systems. However, we can not rule out that in the future a plane of similar dimensions may be used in commercial aviation, with control stations located at civilian airports. What would happen if terrorists entered the control station, neutralized the crew and took control of the aircraft.
There are two possible ways to support UAVs on land, integrate them into existing aerodromes or create exclusive aerodromes for UAV operations.
- Towing vehicles for aircraft in maneuvering areas and areas of operation.
- Visual, luminous or electronic markings for airplanes so they can navigate on the ground remotely or autonomously.
- Waiting zones for maintenance work after recovery.
- Protection systems for external pilots when performing manual landings.
- Protection systems for pilots inside the control station in the event of attempts to sabotage or hijack the aircraft.
The requirements will vary between different types of unmanned aircraft, surely as they evolve, the technology will be able to solve each of the new demands. The important most important thing will be the safe and seamless opration of manned airplanes and safe integration for operating of the manned aircraft and that the necessary arrangements are made to avoid having new aerodrome users become an obstacle that prevents a safe and expeditious operation.
Certification of elements that make up an unmanned aerial system.
Then it can be said that certification is a process in which a third party different from the manufacturer or user, and independent of them, ensures that a product or process, meets the requirements and specifications presented by the manufacturer or designer. For this, the process must be objective, effective, reliable and be conducted impartially and honestly.
For the above, there must be rules and procedures of accreditation defined and accepted by the interested parties. In addition, accredited means of verification, such as test benches or procedure simulators, as well as an organization with the necessary authority to grant certification, must be available.
Certification of airworthiness.
Airworthiness is basically the “capacity for air navigation”.
More specifically, it can be said that they are “characteristics or conditions that must be met by aircraft in order to safely and satisfactorily carry out flights or maneuvers for which they have been authorized.
Technical aptitude for the flight and / or for a given flight class ”
This capability is a sine qua non condition to allow the integration of unmanned aircraft to air operations in spaces shared with manned aircraft, since the airworthiness certification is the verification that the aeronautical design can be safely operated in the entire enclosure of flight that the manufacturer indicates and evaluated in relation to a certification basis.
This certification parameter will result in the level of compliance with the regulations provided by the aeronautical authority that delivers the certification and will tell the level of reliability of the flight system that is certified.It is logical to think that unmanned flight systems should be certified as a single complex, ie. a composite between the air segment, the ground segment and its link, since the complexity and level of integration of these elements results in the degree of reliability of the system as a whole.
Special relevance in the UAV certification process is the definition of the regulations for the certification of the software used. “The DO-178B standard provides guidance for the production of software for on-board systems and equipment so that there is an adequate level of confidence in the correct operation of such software in compliance with the airworthiness requirements.”
Considering the immense variety of designs, sizes, jobs, missions or purposes that UAVs currently have, and which is expected to increase significantly in the future, it would seem that the most logical thing would be to create a specific regulatory body for the certification of unmanned aircraft. But considering the need for integration of these aircraft, it is more advisable to complement the standards established for manned aircraft, thus guiding the designers of the new aircraft to be based on the security levels delivered by the current flight systems.
With respect to this, in the area of certification of unmanned military aircraft, the NATO Standardization Agency (NSA) published STANAG 4671 “Airworthiness Requirements for UAS (USAR)”. The purpose of this publication is “To provide a set of technical airworthiness requirements intended primarily for the certification of the airworthiness of fixed wing aircraft of military UAS with a maximum takeoff weight between 150 and 20,000 kilograms considering their operation in airspace not segregated.”
In addition to the above, in May 2013 the STANAG 4670 “Guide for the training of UAS operators” was published, which aims to: “establish a set of guidelines to establish the requirements in the training and skills necessary for the operation of UAS in different kinds of airspace. In addition to a set of training guidelines for the use of UAS in combined and joint operations.”
The correct certification of Remotely Managed Flight Systems will provide this type of aircraft with the necessary validity for its correct integration into the shared airspace, strengthen its employment possibilities and contribute to the demolition of unfounded fears that generate barriers to its development.Once the above has been achieved, the UAVs will be able to provide the people with the full potential of assistance they represent as a tool to generate well-being for the communities through the help of the integration of territories and the mitigation of the risks intrinsically associated with the flight of aircraft.
[1]http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=certificaci%C3%B3n
[2]http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=aeronavegabilidad
[3]DGAC de Chile, Norma Aeronáutica DAN 103, primera edición, 2007, pág. 1
[4]http://www.davi.ws/avionics/TheAvionicsHandbook_Cap_27.pdf (traducción propia).
[5]http://nsa.nato.int/nsa/zPublic/stanags/4671eed01.pdf (traducción propia).
[6]http://nsa.nato.int/nsa/zPublic/ap/atp-3.3.7%20eda%20v1%20e.pdf
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