AAI Aerosonde
AAI Corporation / Aerosonde Pty Ltd · Australia · first flew 1995 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Aerosonde is a small autonomous meteorological and surveillance UAV that became the first unmanned aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean, in 1998, on a single tank of fuel.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | cylindrical fuselage pod carrying sensors |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- small pusher-prop UAV with straight high wing
- no undercarriage on early versions — launched by hand or catapult
- cylindrical fuselage pod carrying sensors
Very small — about the size of a large model aircraft. Straight high wing, pusher propeller at the tail, no undercarriage on early versions. Easily confused with any number of small surveillance drones; the family resemblance to a diminutive conventional monoplane is intentional.
Specifications
- The AAI Aerosonde has a length of 1.7 m (6 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 2.9 m (10 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 150 km/h (93 mph).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by Australian company Aerosonde Pty Ltd and subsequently acquired by AAI Corporation, the Aerosonde was designed as a low-cost long-endurance drone for weather observation and reconnaissance. Its 1998 transatlantic crossing from Newfoundland to Scotland demonstrated the potential of small autonomous systems. Military versions were later deployed in Afghanistan and other theatres.
Variants
The baseline Aerosonde was followed by the Aerosonde Mk 4.7 and the larger MALE-class Aerosonde HQ.
Where you'll see it
Used by US military special operations forces for surveillance and communications relay; also employed for scientific meteorological data gathering in hurricanes.
Related aircraft
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