Tail-mounted electric motor newly added.
Steve Trimble
Steve Trimble/ShowNews
Elbit Systems has unveiled, at the Singapore Airshow, a new hybrid-powered version of a long-endurance small unmanned aircraft system that can operate silently over a target area.
The hybrid propulsion system for the Skylark 3 includes a nose-mounted combustion engine and a newly added tail-mounted electric motor.
In hybrid mode, the electric motor creates little noise compared to the combustion engine, allowing the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to operate quietly over a target area, according to Elbit.
The combustion engine in the nose also can be swapped out with another electric motor, making the UAS all-electric, at the expense of reduced range.
“The twin-engine architecture of the new Skylark enables one to back up the other, providing greater reliability and safety,” Elbit says in a Feb. 14 news release.
The Skylark 3 Hybrid retains the original 4.7-m (15-ft.) wingspan and 50-kg (110-lb.) maximum takeoff weight of the original UAS. It has the option of carrying several payloads, including a high-resolution electro-optical camera, electronic or communications intelligence receivers and laser designators.
The Israel Defense Forces originally deployed the Skylark 3 in 2008 under the local Skyrider brand. In 13 years, 26 more countries have ordered different versions of the Skylark family of UAS.
Most of the announced Skylark operators are in Europe, but Asian customers reportedly include Myanmar and South Korea. Previous variants of the UAS include the Skylark 1, Skylark 1-LE, Skylark 2 and Skylark 2-LE.
