ShadowfaxUAS has introduced the SF45, a Group 3 hybrid fixed-wing VTOL uncrewed aerial system (UAS) designed for missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), mapping and monitoring.
The aircraft uses an electric VTOL system for takeoff and landing and a gasoline engine for forward flight. A key maintenance feature is its quick-swap propulsion unit, which can be removed and replaced in the field in less than one minute.
The removable unit allows an aircraft to return to service while the propulsion system removed from the aircraft undergoes inspection, servicing, or other routine maintenance at a workshop. According to ShadowfaxUAS, the gasoline propulsion unit accounts for about 80 per cent of routine maintenance time on the platform.
The approach is intended to reduce aircraft downtime by separating propulsion-system maintenance from aircraft availability. Operators can maintain a pool of replacement propulsion units and exchange them as required rather than keeping the entire aircraft out of service during routine engine maintenance.
The propulsion unit incorporates an automatic starter-generator and sensors that monitor engine temperature, engine RPM, and fuel level. The aircraft provides up to 500 W of onboard electrical power at user-defined voltages, supporting the operation of mission equipment and other onboard systems.
The SF45 has a maximum take-off weight of 40 kg and can carry payloads of up to 8 kg. ShadowfaxUAS states that the aircraft has an endurance of up to 10 hours and a sortie range exceeding 1,000 km.
The UAS has modular payload bays designed to accommodate different mission systems. Available configurations include electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, encrypted datalinks, photogrammetry equipment, GPS-denied navigation systems, and LiDAR.
The modular configuration can also reduce the work required when changing mission equipment between sorties, although the extent of maintenance or integration work will depend on the payload and aircraft configuration.
The SF45 is designed for operations including ISR, maritime and coastal surveillance, border monitoring, search and rescue, disaster response, firefighting and surveying.
For field deployment, the aircraft can be assembled in about 15 minutes and requires a 6 m by 6 m area for takeoff. It is designed to operate in temperatures from -10°C to 45°C and winds of up to 20 knots.
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ShadowfaxUAS is also offering operator training through its Twin digital simulator, which replicates the aircraft’s flight and mission-operation characteristics.
The SF45 is currently in production and available to order. Its field-replaceable propulsion architecture is intended to allow operators to shift routine engine maintenance away from the aircraft and reduce the time an airframe remains unavailable for maintenance.
