Hybrid Drones and Advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unveiled
At the Korean Air exhibition booth participating in the '2021 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2021)', unmanned aerial vehicles and others are being introduced.
[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Korean Air announced that it will participate in the '2021 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2021)' held for five days from the 19th to the 23rd at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
ADEX is the largest biennial comprehensive trade exhibition specializing in aerospace and defense industries in Korea, serving as a platform to expand export opportunities for domestic aerospace and defense industry products and to facilitate technology exchange with advanced overseas companies. This year, more than 440 domestic and international companies are participating.
At this exhibition, Korean Air plans to showcase various advanced aerospace technologies including division-level unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), vertical takeoff and landing UAVs, low-observable UAVs, medium-altitude UAVs, hybrid drones, ground target surveillance systems, urban air mobility (UAM) control systems, and small satellite launch vehicles. Indoor exhibits will feature various models and explanatory materials, while the outdoor exhibition area will display division-level UAVs, medium-altitude UAVs, and ground control stations (GCS).
The division-level UAV is an unmanned aircraft deployed to division-level units to perform reconnaissance missions. It can take off from a launcher without a separate runway and is equipped with advanced technologies enabling precise automatic landing on rough terrain, making it a premium UAV.
The vertical takeoff and landing UAV is being independently developed by Korean Air to enhance the mission sensor performance of the division-level UAV and to apply vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. Compared to existing vertical takeoff and landing UAVs, its structure is simpler, making disassembly and assembly easier. Its size allows multiple units to be loaded onto a vehicle, making it suitable for field operations. Korean Air is actively enhancing the completeness of the vertical takeoff and landing UAV through vigorous domestic and international technological cooperation and plans to actively participate in future vertical takeoff and landing UAV system development projects.
The low-observable UAV applies technology that absorbs radio waves in certain frequency bands, making it difficult to detect with conventional radar, essentially functioning as a stealth UAV. The medium-altitude UAV is a high-performance strategic UAV operated to monitor key enemy targets in real-time on the battlefield. Flight tests are currently underway with the goal of completing system development within 2021.
Korean Air’s independently developed hybrid drone is equipped with a hybrid engine combining a battery and an internal combustion engine to compensate for the short flight time of conventional battery-only drones. While the maximum flight time of existing battery drones is around 30 minutes, this hybrid drone can fly for over 2 hours, with a maximum flight altitude of 500 meters and a top speed of 72 km/h.
It can operate normally in temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to plus 45 degrees Celsius and withstand strong winds of up to 16 meters per second. It also features a 'folding arm' function that allows the wings to be folded during storage and unfolded during flight, as well as a high-resolution camera. Korean Air plans to supply the hybrid drone to the Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters in November, and it is expected that drones will be practically used in life-saving activities in the future.
Korean Air stated, "Based on our accumulated experience in aircraft manufacturing, maintenance, and transportation services across the aviation sector, we are actively expanding our business areas for the future, including entering the urban air mobility business sector. Going forward, Korean Air will continue to contribute to the development of the aerospace and defense industries as a representative aerospace company of the Republic of Korea."
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