The Boeing A160 Hummingbird is an unmanned helicopter aerial vehicle (UAV) that can autonomously fly for up to 20 hours at speeds up to 260km/h and altitudes up to 9,150m. It uses a Pratt & Whitney Canada engine and has a unique hingeless, rigid optimum-speed rotor technology that allows it to operate efficiently at low speeds. The Hummingbird carries various payloads like electro-optical, infrared and radar systems to perform surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

1. long-endurance helicopter UAV

3. * The Boeing A160 Hummingbird (military designation: YMQ-18A) is an unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) helicopter.
* The air vehicle, with optimum-speed rotor, operates autonomously and flies at
260km/h at a maximum altitude of 9,150m, with a hover capability up to 4,570m for
up to 20 hours.
* The capabilities of such high-hover altitudes and payloads enable the A160 to detect
slow moving targets and provide high-end detection of potential threats.
* The A160T helicopter will take part in the US Marine Corps war fighting laboratory's
immediate cargo unmanned aerial system demonstration programme.

5. * The A160T Hummingbird is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D
turbo shaft engine. The engine can produce a continuous 426.7kW (572shp).
* The engine also features a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) facility to
reduce the workload of the pilot, including self-starting and fuel consumption.
* The autonomously-flown A160 is 35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter, but it
only weighs about 2,500 pounds.
* To provide long-term surveillance, the foliage penetration reconnaissance,
surveillance, tracking and engagement radar (FORESTER) system was designed for A-
160T Hummingbird.

7. * The revolution rate (rpm) of the rotor can be reduced by more than half its
maximum, which contributes to an increase in the air vehicle's fuel efficiency in low-
speed and low-weight flight.
* The fuselage is of carbon-fibre construction and is of a smooth aerodynamic design
which also gives low radar and visual signatures.
* A160T’s OSRT rotor can operate between 150-350 rpm, with tip speeds as low as Mach
0.25, instead of regular heliblade tip speeds near Mach 1.
* The A160T/ MQ-18 features a unique hingeless, rigid, optimum-speed rotor
technology concept (OSRT).

9. * The helicopter flies autonomously with manual override. The UAV's flight control
system was designed by Frontier Systems.
* Navigation includes global positioning and GPS-based waypoint navigation.
* A large mission payload bay is installed in the nose of the vehicle and a sensor turret
can be installed under the nose section of the fuselage.
* Payload options include: day and night electro-optical and infrared imaging systems,
radar with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) / moving target indicator (MTI) modes and
with foliage penetration capability and a laser target designator.

11. General characteristics
* Length: 35 ft. 0 in (10.7 m)
* Main rotor diameter: 36 ft. 0 in (11 m)
* Empty weight: 2,500 lb. (1,134 kg)
* Gross weight: 6,500 lb. (2,948 kg)
* Power plant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D, 550 hp (410 kW) each
Performance
* Maximum speed: 160+ mph (258+ km/h)
* Endurance: 20+ hours
* Service ceiling: 20,000–30,000 ft. (6,100–9,150 m)
* Maximum glide ratio: 7

12. * http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/hummingbird/
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_A160_Hummingbird
* http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/a160-hummingbird-boeings-variable-rotor-
vtuav-03989/
* http://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2004/december/ts_sf04.html
* http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=796