The SPOT V3 VTOL UAV (pictured above) during the initial test flights. (CDSpace Robotics)
Indian firm CDSpace Robotics exhibited its new SPOT V3 fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at East Tech 2022, an event held in Kolkata by the Indian Army's Eastern Command on 7 and 8 July.
Piyush Negi, co-founder and chief product officer of CDSpace Robotics, told Janes that the SPOT V3 system is based on an indigenous design and is being developed in-house primarily for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) roles.
The UAV features a fuselage structure with a shoulder-mounted wing (with detachable outer sections), a V-tail configuration, a total of eight electric motors mounted fore and aft on four booms (two each attached to inner and outer sections of the wings), a chin-mounted gimbal sensor payload, and four landing legs.
The UAV, which has a wingspan of 4.5 m, is equipped with a single internal combustion engine, featuring electronic fuel injection, for horizontal flight. The engine, which produces 4 kW (5.5 hp) of power, also has an integrated generator to cater for onboard power requirements for avionics and sensors.
The same generator also charges a battery that powers the UAV's electric motors. The maximum take-off weight of the UAV, which has a stated endurance of six hours, is currently targeted at about 50 kg. The upper structure of the fuselage features bays to accommodate avionics and sensors.
When asked about the UAV's applications in addition to ISR, Negi told Janes,
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