×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024)
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
MODERN AIRCRAFT
DRONE TECHNOLOGY
Aviation / Aerospace

Bluebird Aero Spylite


Unmanned Aircraft System [ 2012 ]



The Spylite is a compact, high-altitude Unmanned Aircraft System that is noted for its readiness and broad over-battlefield capabilities.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The world of small, portable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) is a big one with many players found all over the world. As such, customers have the pick-of-the-litter when it comes to securing the right platform for the right over-battlefield need. Bluebird Aero Systems of Israel produces the Spylite for the "Small, High-Altitude" reconnaissance and data-collecting role and has garnered attention from defense powerhouses such as India.

The Spylite system utilizes a crew of just two ground personnel to setup, launch, operate and recover the UAS. Its payload is variable and can consist of sensors and HD cameras for real-time, high-resolution (1080p) recording and the product can be controlled up to ranges of 50 kilometers (extendable to 80km) for up to four hours. It carries an inherent GPS Jamming protection system for operating in contested airspaces and a backup data link serves as a fall back in communication-loss emergencies. The absolute maximum flight ceiling is listed at 30,000 feet though the UAS typically operates in the 3,000 to 3,300 feet range. Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) reaches 9.5 kilograms.

Spylite is launched by way of a foldable, lightweight, low-cost rubber-band actuated launcher. The launcher can be operated in all types of weather conditions in day or night time hours. Setup time for the assembly is just fifteen minutes.

For the recovery portion of the Spylite's flight, the system is wholly autonomous and deploys a simply, low-cost parachute to retard its fall at the pre-set landing zone. The aircraft is capable of determining its fall rate based on altitude and wind speed during this process, protecting vital internal systems and the aircraft as a whole. A quick-release mechanism then allows ground operators to detach the used chute to be repacked and reused.

The Bluebird's flexibility extends beyond its capability to reconnoiter for it is cleared for use in target acquisition, disaster / humanitarian relief, mapping, aerial surveying, Search & Rescue (SAR), border security, convoy protection, and law enforcement roles. A low acoustic signature also means that the aircraft is suitable for clandestine work by special forces elements.

To date, the Spylite series has recorded over 35,000 hours of flying time.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

September 2018 - After a successful showing in trials for the Army, India has committed to the Bluebird Aero Systems Spylite Small, High-Altitude UAS.

Specifications



Service Year
2012

Origin
Israel national flag graphic
Israel

Status
ACTIVE
In Active Service.
Crew
0
UNMANNED
Production
50
UNITS


Bluebird Aero Systems - Israel
(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of India National flag of Israel Israel; India (committed)
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).
Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
Special Forces
Serving Special Forces / Special Operations elements and missions.
Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.


Length
4.4 ft
(1.35 m)
Width/Span
9.0 ft
(2.75 m)
Empty Wgt
15 lb
(7 kg)
MTOW
20 lb
(9 kg)
Wgt Diff
+4 lb
(+2 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Bluebird Aero Spylite production variant)
Installed: 1 x Engine driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the rear of the fuselage in pusher fashion.
Max Speed
75 mph
(120 kph | 65 kts)
Ceiling
3,281 ft
(1,000 m | 0 mi)
Range
31 mi
(50 km | 93 nm)


♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Bluebird Aero Spylite production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None. Payload of sensors and cameras.


Supported Types




(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Spylite - Base Series Name


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the Bluebird Aero Spylite
Image from official Bluebird Aero Systems marketing materials.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)