Israeli Drone Gets Upgrade

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A new version of the Israeli BirdEye650 mini-UAS was released recently, dubbed the BirdEye650 D.

The BirdEye 650, designed and produced by IAI, was first unveiled in 2010 and demonstrated 2 hours endurance with a battery propulsion system. Endurance was later stretched to 3 hours.

The company tested a propulsion system using fuel cells but then decided to go for a fuel engine. According to company sources the new version has reached a 20 + hours endurance.

Unmanned Systems Event 2014 – Israel

The BirdEye 650D has a max takeoff weight of 30 kg and can carry a 5.5 kgs payload. It has an operational radius of over 50 km and is equipped with a special day/ night payload. The entire system is man-portable and can be deployed in the field by two people.

The portable ground control system is lightweight and allows for the automatic operation of the UAS and its payloads, and the data link allows for digital ground communication. The system uses a man-portable remote video terminal and a ground control element.