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Brief Unmanned Aerospace History Tied Into Modern UAS

The first mass produced aerial target UAVs referred to in this discussion is the Radioplane OQ-2.  Showcased to the army in 1935, Radioplane went on to produce 15,000 units to the Army Air Force and U.S. Navy.  This became an important training tool for anti-aircraft gunners leading up to world war II. 

To appreciate the awesomeness of today’s unmanned aerospace systems (UAS) it is important to understand the origins.  One aspect imperative to the success of a UAS mission is command, control and communication (C3).  Radio control back in the day of electromechanical RC controlled boats and aircraft would transmit different frequencies (on/off signals) in response to operators’ movements on the control stick.  This method for control was simple but easily susceptible to interference and disruption

 Going fast-forward almost 100 years, still in the form of electromagnetic waves, most command guidance does not directly control an unmanned system.  Instead, it is digital information that will send instructions to ‘fly in this direction,’ fly to this point,’ ‘turn left,’ and ‘increase thrust.’  With a semi-autonomous control system, the operator does not directly control flight surfaces and propulsion power settings.

 Staying on the topic of command, control and communication another type of RC flying that is relatively new is First Person View (FPV).  FPV uses radio control and live video downlink by television transmitter capturing data from a small video camera mounted usually at the front of the aircraft.  With the use of video goggles the pilot sees the aircraft point of view only in the first person. The most common frequencies used for video transmission are 900 MHz, 1.2 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz.  More sophisticated setups with direction and high-gain antennas can achieve 20-30 miles of video range. 

C3 technologies play a major role in the growth of the UAS.  At the mercy of electromagnetic waves, direct line of sight, and limited data transfer other technologies such as free space optical communication are faster and more secure than RF.  Used for smartphone and other devices, Long Term Evolution (4G) may see a demand from UAS operators for its vast coverage soon.  Wi-Fi onboard master-slave drones is a basis of C3 in a swarm of multiple UAVs operating collectively.

References:


Radioplane OQ-2 Aerial Target Drone. (2017). Militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 13 August 2017, from https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=331

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