The AeroVironment Jump 20 series is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) / fixed-wing Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) by AeroVironment, Incorporated. The product adds to the deep stable (and experience) the company has garnered over the years in providing unmanned solutions to military, civilian, and industry sectors alike. The Jump 20 combines the capabilities of a modern-day helicopter while retaining the inherent-capabilities of fixed-wing flight - making it an ideal all-in-one solution.
The aircraft is given a conventional design arrangement as VTOL drones go: the slab-sided fuselage houses all pertinent operating systems including avionics, engine, fuel, and an underslung optics set. A two-bladed propeller unit is affixed to the nose to pull the aircraft to the air in horizontal flight envelopes. The optics are set in a blister / turret unit under the belly of the aircraft - this gives the component unfettered, 360-degree views of the terrain below. The mainplanes are seated at shoulder-height over the fuselage and each is given booms extended beyond the leading and trailing edges of the wing while mounting two-bladed lift-props (four in all) at each end of the booms. The lift-props provide the necessary vertical lifting for the drone, allowing it to reach out-of-the-way areas typically closed-off to fixed-wing types of same class. The empennage consists of a single vertical plane capped by a single horizontal plane to round out the in-flight control scheme.
The Jump 20 carries a modular multi-sensor pack to satisfy the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) requirement critical to many top-tier militaries. It can fly for up to 14 hours out to a range of 115 miles and its VTOL quality means it does not require the services of a prepared airfield / runway nor specialized launch / recovery gear. Preparation time is sixty minutes from unpacking to flight.
The aircraft is rated for mission loads up to 30lb that goes beyond the (retractable) optics fit - a payload bay is present for additional onboard stowage of special-mission equipment as needed. The optics fit itself is fully-stabilized and delivers an inherent tracking capability as well as real-time data / video feeding. Options in this regard include support for Electro-Optical (EO), MWIR, telescope, spotter, and InfraRed (IR) solutions through the available ARCAM-45D, WASCAM MX-8, TRILLIUM HD80, and TASE 400 LRS mountable solutions.
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August 2022 - The United States Army has selected the AeroVironment Jump 20 series VTOL UAV to succeed (at least partly) its aging fleet of RQ-7 drones.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
✓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.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
RUGGED AIRFRAME
Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.
HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE
Can reach and operate at higher altitudes than average aircraft of its time.
EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE
Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.
UNMANNED OPERATION
Design features ability to fly sans pilot, actions controlled onboard through programming and / or ground-based operator.
AUTONOMOUS OPERATION
Design features autonomous flight operations made possible through onboard artificial intelligence or pre-programming.
CAMERA EQUIPMENT
Payload supports photographic equipment providing still and / or real-time image / video results.
Length
9.5 ft (2.90 m)
Width/Span
18.7 ft (5.70 m)
MTOW
216 lb (98 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base AeroVironment Jump 20 production variant)
monoplane / shoulder-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Shoulder-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted at the upper section of the fuselage, generally at the imaginary line intersecting the pilot's shoulders.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base AeroVironment Jump 20 production variant)
Installed:
1 x MOGAS 190cc EFI engine driving two-bladed propeller unit at the nose for conventional operation with battery-power driving 4 x Twin-bladed lift-props for VTOL operation.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base AeroVironment Jump 20 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. Mission payload related to Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) role. Payload up to 30lb.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Jump 20 - Base Series Name.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
Images Gallery
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Image from official AeroVironment marketing materials.
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