RQ-14 Dragon Eye
A small reconnaissance miniature UAV. It is a tailless design with a rectangular wing and twin props. It is designed to fit into a backpack, with a weight of 2.7 kilograms and a span of 1.14 meters. It can be launched by hand or using a store-bought bungee cord. It also uses a break-apart system to increase durability—parts of the plane break apart instead of shattering and can be reattached later or replaced with new parts. It has a GPS-INS-based waypoint navigation system.
The operator monitors Dragon Eye operation through "video goggles" connected to a laptop computer. The control system weighs about 5.4 kilograms.
The Dragon Eye aircraft is used primarily for scouting urban areas, and is especially useful in urban assaults. Its camera, when used with a trained operator, can be used to spot enemies without alerting them to the UAV's presence. Cruising Speed; 64km/h; Ceiling: 152m; Endurance: 1 hour; Range: 5km; Transmission Range: 10.0km A single-person operation. Designed for use by Explosive Ordnance Disposal Groups. Its hovering feature is critical for the search for roadside bombs. It is used to fly ahead and scan the roads, its ability to inspect a target --- a suspicious vehicle, structure, or disturbed earth — from close range, covering ground much more quickly than an unmanned ground vehicle and without putting people at risk. It is fitted with one forward and one downward looking daylight or IR cameras.
Weight: 8.39kg. Maximum speed: 130 km/h; Endurance: 40 minutes; Service Ceiling: 3,200 m; Operational Altitude: 30-70 m. Operating Radius is 11 km.
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