Steadicopter Black Eagle 50

Unmanned Rotary-Wing UAV (RUAV)

Israel | 2020

"The Israeli-originated Steadicopter Black Eagle 50 unmanned system is a capable design incorporating all the benefits of a traditional helicopter."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/04/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Still frame from official Steadicopter marketing video.

In today's world of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), the military, industry, and civilian market customer all have a breadth of options to consider. The evolution of unmanned flight designs has also broadened choices in the realm of the RUAV ("Rotary-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle") - vehicles given the qualities and capabilities of a helicopter (rotorcraft). In the category, Steadicopter of Israel offers its highly-capable "Black Eagle 50" series RUAV for those discerning buyers requiring a day/night, maritime/over-land, multi-role/multi-purpose solution.

The Black Eagle 50 is actively marketed by the company for military, security, and civilian applications to cover the specific requirements of maritime (over-water) service, humanitarian assistance, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, Oil and Gas industry (oil rig) support, and Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) sorties. It can also be outfitted for target acquisition missions in support of ground and aerial forces in the military sense.

Externally, the vehicle mimics design lines seen in other RUAVs currently available: the bulk of the design's weight is held forward, housing all pertinent engine, fuel, avionics, and mission-specific systems. Overhead, seated on a shallow mast, is the main rotor sporting a two-bladed unit design. Intersecting counter-balance arms are noted. Under the fuselage sits a simple, robust four-point landing skid which helps to reduce costs and operating complexity of the machine. The fuselage features a fixed, tapering stem emanating aft, shrouding the drive shaft of the tail rotor, and capped by a vertical and horizontal rudder fin. The tail rotor, a three-bladed unit, is set facing starboard to act as the anti-torque element in the design. A traversing blister is in the "chin" position housing powerful optics (Dual Sensor InfraRed / Electro-Optical (IR/EO) fit).

The Black Eagle 50's development as a rotorcraft gives it unparalleled capabilities as it is able to reach areas where fixed-wing UAVs dare not go. This includes rugged mountainous regions where vertical flight is essentially a requirement. The vehicle possesses all of the qualities of a traditional / conventional helicopter without the need to expose pilots and crews to unnecessary dangers. This ability means the system can be used across a deeper mission set all the while keeping its operators safe from harm. An inherent hovering ability also means the aircraft can support friendlies already on the ground, those unfortunate enough to find themselves in an inaccessible location to aircraft altogether.

The Black Eagle 50H is a hybrid-powered, environmentally-conscious model featuring all of the base qualities of the 50-model unit. It can be used in day-night environments, features a hovering capability regardless of payload weight, and is both relatively lightweight and compact. It mates the best qualities of Steadicopter's electric drive with a gasoline-fueled powerplant - allowing the operator to switch between each unit as needed. This entry bridges the gap in payload and range capabilities of the Black Eagle 50 and the Black Eagle 50E series. The H-model will be on full display at the Singapore Airshow in February 2022.

Dimensions of the vehicle include a length of 10 feet (3.1 m) and a main rotor diameter measuring 9.19 feet (2.8 m). Take-off weight is rated at 110lb (50 kg) and the payload capacity reaches 26.45lb (12 kg). The system can fly out to a range of 93.2 miles (150 km) at speeds of 80 mph (70 knots -cruising generally at 52 mph / 45 knots) with an endurance window of 3.5 hours. Hover time is an impressive 5 hours. It can operate in temperatures as low as -20c and as high as 50c. Its maximum service ceiling is 16,500 feet (5,030 meters).

The compact Black Eagle 25E and larger/heavier 50E are related models of electric propulsion and based in the Model 50 series.

The company also offers a conversion kit allowing manned helicopters to be transitioned to RUAVs. The lack of a human pilot now allows these same airframes to install additional fuel stores for improved operating ranges or mission-specific equipment beyond standard fittings.

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February 2022 - The Steadicopter Black Eagle 50H hyrid-powered helicopter was debuted at Singapore Airshow 2022.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Steadicopter Black Eagle 50 Unmanned Rotary-Wing UAV (RUAV).

1 x Conventional engine driving two-bladed main rotor and three-bladed tail rotor (facing starboard).
Propulsion

78 mph
126 kph | 68 kts
Max Speed

50 mph
81 kph | 44 kts
Cruise Speed

10,007 ft
3,050 m | 2 miles
Service Ceiling

93 miles
150 km | 81 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 Steadicopter Black Eagle 50 Unmanned Rotary-Wing UAV (RUAV).

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

8.3 ft
2.54 m
O/A Length

7.1 ft
(2.16 m)
O/A Width

110 lb
(50 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 Steadicopter Black Eagle 50 Unmanned Rotary-Wing UAV (RUAV) .

None. Mission equipment fitted for ISR, SAR, Oil and Gas industry support, and other roles.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Steadicopter Black Eagle 50 family line.

Black Eagle 50 - Base Series Name.

Black Eagle 50H

Black Eagle 25E

Black Eagle 50E

Golden Eagle

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Steadicopter Black Eagle 50. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 50 Units
Contractor(s): Steadicopter - Israel

[ Israel ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 100mph

Lo: 50mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (78mph).

Graph Average of 75 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

50

36183

44000

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

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

1 / 1

Image of the Steadicopter Black Eagle 50

Still frame from official Steadicopter marketing video.

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

Similar
Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the Steadicopter Black Eagle 50 Unmanned Rotary-Wing UAV (RUAV).

Schiebel Camcopter S-100

Airbus Helicopters VSR700

Boeing MQ-18 Hummingbird

Going Further...
The Steadicopter Black Eagle 50 Unmanned Rotary-Wing UAV (RUAV) appears in the following collections:

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