Skyeton Raybird-3

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)

Ukraine | 2019

"The Skyeton Raybird-3, of Ukrainian origin, offers considerable capabilities for its size - defining factors being automation, versatility, and reliability."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/13/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image from official Skyeton Raybird 3 marketing material.

The Skyeton "Raybird-3" is an all-modern, multi-faceted Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) solution designed and developed in Ukraine. The aircraft is conventional in most respects, offering the automatic, versatility, and reliability common to other UASs of this class. The air vehicle is actively marketed today and can provide flexibility across many operating environments and industries.

The Raybird-3 has been given a traditional twin boom arrangement which sees a centralized fuselage housing all pertinent operating- and mission-related systems. The fuselage is well-streamlined and compact with the twin-bladed propeller unit seated at the nose (as opposed to the more common placement at the rear of the fuselage). A trainable optics fit is positioned at the belly, offering unfettered views of the surrounding terrain below and around the aircraft. The mainplanes are mid-mounted on the fuselage sides and have down-turned tips. The twin boom arrangement sees the booms emanating from the trailing edges of the mainplanes and joined at the rear by a shared horizontal plane. The vertical fins are inverted at the rear of the design, giving this UAV a wholly unique look in the field.

Dimensions of the air vehicle including a running length of 1.8 meters with a wingspan measuring 2.98 meters and a height of just 0.32 meters. Compactness for such a system is key. Operating weights include an empty rating of 11 kilograms and an MTOW of 21 kilograms.

Power for the unit is from a conventional fuel-injected system which allows for a mission-endurance window of around 24 to 32 hours. Operating speeds reach a maximum of 160 kmh.

The aircraft does not required manual input by the ground operator for certain in-air tasks with an automatic processing function being in-built. In this fashion, the vehicle can fly to pre-programmed waypoints in the sky, manage its own payload systems, and make its way back to the operator on its own. The air vehicle can operate to ceilings of 10,000 feet, keeping it out of harm's way (and out of hearing range) from targets/threats on the ground. Direct control of the vehicle is possible up to 240 kilometers (2,500 km in automatic mode).

Tactical flexibility is at the heart of similar systems and the Raybird-3 does not disappoint: its payload is capable of carrying up to 5 kilograms consisting of sensors and camera systems. The onboard video-streaming technology can project out to a range of 120 kilometers. Operation is allowed under various environments and weather conditions.

Reliability is aided through a redundant internal mechanical design which promotes unit reuse as well as operator safety. The digitally-based data-linking process is fully-encrypted to protect against "prying eyes" attempting to intercept its in-air signal.

The complete Raybird-3 system consists of three airframes, a single Ground Control Station (GAS), antenna, and a collapsing catapult launcher. The components are transported in four hard-walled containers and can be arranged for the mission in under 20 minutes - the action being completely tool-less process to boot, involving assembly of the mainplanes to the fuselage, tail booms to the mainplanes, and elevator to the tail booms.

Launching is handled by way of the included catapult and recovery is through a simple, low-cost parachute deployment needed to retard the vehicle's fall. Impact damage is lessened by a reusable, electrically-filled airbag serving as the vehicle's cushion.

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September 2019 - The Raybird 3 platform has captured the Ukrainian Small UAV record for distance, saying aloft for 24.5 hours.

April 2020 - The Raybird 3 has successfully taken part in active testing of the 90K6E 3D surface-search radar system.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Skyeton Raybird-3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS).

1 x 4-stroke, 40.2cc gasoline-fueled engine driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose in tractor / puller arrangement.
Propulsion

99 mph
160 kph | 86 kts
Max Speed

10,171 ft
3,100 m | 2 miles
Service Ceiling

1,553 miles
2,500 km | 1,350 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Skyeton Raybird-3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS).

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

6.0 ft
1.83 m
O/A Length

9.8 ft
(2.98 m)
O/A Width

1.0 ft
(0.32 m)
O/A Height

24 lb
(11 kg)
Empty Weight

46 lb
(21 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Skyeton Raybird-3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) .

None. Typical mission fit related to optics and sensors including full HD real-time video transmission to receiver.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Skyeton Raybird-3 family line.

Raybird 3 - Base Series Name / Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Skyeton Raybird-3. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 15 Units
Contractor(s): Skyeton - Ukraine

[ Ukraine ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 100mph

Lo: 50mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (99mph).

Graph Average of 75 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

15

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Image from official Skyeton Raybird 3 marketing material.

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

RECONNAISSANCE

UNMANNED

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The Skyeton Raybird-3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) appears in the following collections:

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