3. Introduction
• The Apid 55 is a miniature vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV) system designed and manufactured by CybAero for the United Arab Emirates Defense
Agency (UAEDA).
• The vehicle can perform intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance
operations in hostile environments even in adverse sight conditions.
• Apid 55 grew out of an early 1990s research project run by the University of Linkoping in
Sweden. It is a fully autonomous rotary-wing UAV that is applicable to a wide range of civil
and military roles.
• It captures the real time imagery or videos of the battlefield and transmits to the GCS
through a satellite communication data link with in a range of up to 50km.
4.
5. Design and Features
• Apid 55 can take-off from and land vertically either on a runway or unprepared airstrips.
• It is fitted with a four-bladed main rotor system of 3.3m-diameter, two-bladed tail rotor
system, alternators, antennas and back up power batteries.
• Flying at a maximum altitude of 3,000m, the UAV can provide its operators with real time
intelligence data by executing surveillance and reconnaissance missions over a large area.
• A GPS, gyros, accelerometers, compass, infra-red altitude meter, barometric altitude, laser
scanners and stabilized cameras are also installed in the helicopter.
• The aircraft can be transported on a pick up transport vehicle.
6.
7. Engine and Sensor
• The Apid 55 is powered by a single Hirith E18H engine.
• The E18H is a two cylinder, two-stroke fuel injected engine which produces 41kW of output
power using gasoline as fuel.
• The Apid 55 can fly at a maximum speed of 90km/h.
• The aircraft is equipped with electro-optic (EO) and infra-red (IR) sensors.
• The EO sensor transforms light rays into electronic signals for capturing real time imagery or
videos of the battlefield.
8.
9. Navigation and GCS
• The Apid 55 can be controlled either manually from the GCS or through autonomous mode.
• The helicopter can be operated through pre-programmed waypoints, which can be changed
during flight using a graphical user interface system.
• Ground control system (GCS) is designed and manufactured to process, retrieve, store and
monitor the real time imagery or videos provided by the aircraft using a graphical user
interface (GCU).
• The operators residing in the GCS operate the vehicle through payload control systems.
10.
11. Specification
• Electrical Power : 12-24V alternators, back-up power batteries
• Data Link : operational radius (max): 27nm
• Maximum takeoff weight : 330 pounds
• Fuel capacity : 15.8 U.S. gallons
• Endurance : 6hr
• Endurance speed : 32kt
• Ceiling : 9,800ft
