Chapter 12

Payloads Selection/Design

Surveillance
payload
8.22 m

Military payload

2.1 m

Figure 12.1. MQ-1 Predator A payloads

No Sky condition Level of illuminance (lm/m2)

1 Direct sunlight 1-1.3×105
2 Full indirect daylight 1-2×104
3 Overcast day 1000
4 Very dark day 100
5 Light bulb 10 – 4,000
6 Twilight 10
7 Deep twilight 1
8 Night with full Moon 0.table1
9 Night with quarter Moon 0.01
10 Moonless, night clear sky 0.001
11 Moonless, overcast night sky 0.0001
Table 12.1. Illuminance levels at different lighting conditions

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 Gimbal connector

Pan motor

Micro SD card slot/

Micro USB port
Roll motor

Lens
Tilt motor

Status LED

Figure 12.2. DJI Zenmuse X5 Camera with gimbal

No Model Minimum Horizonta Current Voltage Mass Dimensions

Lux l Lines
1 Micro Color 1.5 380 30 mA 7-12 0.35 oz 0.31×0.31×0.39 in
2 Micro B/W 0.5 380 15 mA 7-12 0.32 oz .31 x .31 x .39 in
3 Sony CC- 0.2 550 65 mA 9 – 14.5 10.2 oz 1.3×1.3×1.1 in
1SBHR
4 Sony CC- 0.05 480 120 mA 9 – 14.5 10.2 oz 1.4×1.4×1.4 in
1XHRM
5 KX-131G 1 330 120 mA 5 7.8 oz 0.87×1.0×1.1 in
6 KX-121 5 330 120 mA 5 2.12 oz 0.87×1.0×.59 in
7 Pencil Eraser 1.5 380 0.35 mA 7-12 2.4 oz 0.32×0.32 in
Cam (w×h)
8 Miniature 1.5 380 - 5-12 2.4 2×1×1 in
ProSeries
9 Tarot TL300MN 0.008 520 40 mA 12 15 g 21×26×30 mm
FPV
10 DJI Zenmuse X5 1.5 380 360-700 18-22 526 g 120×135×140 mm
mA
11 Foxeer 16:9 0.05 960 70 mA 5-40 50 g 19×13×13
RCX09-459-
NTSC
Table 12.2. Technical features of a number of commercial cameras

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 Figure 12.3. RQ-11B Raven stabilized EO/IR Cameras

No Parameter Value
1 Radar type Coherent-pulse Doppler
2 Frequency Ku-band
3 RF bandwidth (instantaneous) 10 MHz
4 Receiver noise figure 7dB
5 PRF (variable) 3 to 10 kHz
6 Range resolution 15, 30, and 50 m
7 Linear dynamic range 40 dB minimum
8 AID quantization of I/O video 8 bits/channel
9 Antenna reflector type Parabolic 18 in × 8 in
10 Rotary joints Azimuth and elevation
11 Elevation pattern Cosecant squared
12 Azimuth beam-width 3°
13 Scan speed (variable) 0° to 48° per second
14 Azimuth side-lobes -28 dB (maximum), -35 dB (average)
15 Peak gain 30 dBi
16 Polarization Horizontal
Table 12.3. Lincoln Lab radar parameters

No Radar modes Characteristics of waveforms

1 Ground moving target detection
(Wide area surveillance)
2 Ground moving target tracking
(specific area of interest
surveillance)
3 Helicopter tracking
- 360° scan every 18 seconds
- 5 to 15 km range swath
- 50 m resolution waveform
- 7 kHz maximum pulse repetition frequency
- 30° scan every 5 second
- 6 km range swath broken into two 3 km intervals
- 15 m resolution waveform
- 4.4 kHz maximum pulse repetition frequency
- 25° scan every 2.5 seconds

3
 - 4 km range swath
- 30 m resolution waveform
- 10 kHz maximum pulse repetition frequency
Table 12.4. Characteristics of the UAV radar waveforms

No Parameter Values
1 Output frequency range X-Band (9.3 to 9.5 GHz)
2 Receiver gain adjustment +12 to -64 dB
3 RX sensitivity -126 dBm MDS
4 Manual gain +12 to - 64 dB
5 Antenna sizes and beam-width18" Antenna: 5.3°
6 Size - Diameter at base; Depth: 6.3"
- Antenna: 18" diameter flat-plate
7 Unit weight (mass) 12.7 lbs (4.31 kg)
8 Power requirements - <3 A at 14 V and
- <1.5 A at 28 V
9 Transmitter power (nominal) 40 W
Table 12.5. Garmin GSX 70 radar used in Global Hawk

18 inch

Figure 12.4. Garmin GSX 70 weather radar used in NASA Global Hawk UAV

00.00
Receiver

Target
 Range finder
Returned signal

Emitted signal

Emitter
Figure 12.5. Range finder mechanism

No Model Dimension Mass Voltage Current Min Max

(cm×cm×cm) (kg) (V) (mA) Range (m) Range (m)
1 BOD 63M-LA04-S115 3.5×7×9 0.26 24 200 1 6
2 Opti Logic 8×8×3 0.22 8 14.4 91 550
3 Nikon Coolshot 80 VR 10×5×8 0.22 3 - 8 915
4 Micro-Laser 4×4×10 0.57 1.5 - 25 1500
Table 12.6. Features of a number of commercial range finders

No Parameter Value/ type Unit

1 Light type Laser red light
2 Principle of optical operation Light time-of-flight
3 Beam characteristic Collimated
4 Ambient light max 10,000 Lux
5 Average power; Pomax 1 mW
6 Light spot size at 6 m Ø 10 mm
7 Pulse duration; tmax 0.007 μs
8 Pulse frequency 2050 kHz
9 Pulse power Ppmax 70 mW
10 Wave length 660 nm
Table 12.7. Optical features of the range finder BOD 63M-LA04-S115

UAV

Detector
Returned signal
Laser designator
Emitted signal

Target

Figure 12.6. Laser designator mechanism

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Figure 12.7. NASA Global Hawk (Courtesy of NASA, Carla Thomas)

Figure 12.8. TMP36

temperature sensor

No Parameter Value
1 Temperature range −40° C to +125° C
2 Voltage 2.7 V to 5.5 V
3 Current Less than 50 μA
4 Linearity ±0.5° C
5 Scale factor 20 mV/°C
6 Accuracy ±2° C
7 Dimension 3×3×1.45 mm
Table 12.8. Features of a TMP37 temperature sensor

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 32 cm

Figure 12.9. AGM-114 Hellfire missile

Figure 12.10. Towed decoy system for Global Hawk

Ground
Camera

To GCS
Power 3-axis Transmitter
supply Gimbal Microcontroller

Rotation
Mechanism

Figure 12.11. Wiring for a camera in a UAV

Airflow

Payload

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 Figure 12.12. Payload fairing (side-view, and top-view)

Figure 12.13. Fairing for two external antennas of a Predator B Reaper

Power supply Receiver Antenna drive Transmitter

Bulkhead

Large dish antenna

Figure 12.14. Cross section of a UAV radome carrying a ground moving targets radar

No Body Status Shape CD

1 Square rod Sharp corner 2.2

Round corner 1.2

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 2 Circular rod Laminar flow 1.2
Turbulent flow 0.3
3 Equilateral Sharp edge face 1.5
triangular rod
Flat face 2

4 Rectangular rod Sharp corner L/D = 0.1 1.9

L/D = 0.5 2.5
L/D = 3 1.3
Round front L/D = 0.5 1.2
edge L/D = 1 0.9
L/D = 4 0.7
5 Elliptical rod Laminar flow L/D = 2 0.6
L/D = 8 0.25
Turbulent flow L/D = 2 0.2
L/D = 8 0.1
6 Symmetrical shell Concave face 2.3

Convex face 1.2

7 Semicircular rod Concave face 1.2

Flat face 1.7

a. Two dimensional bodies (L: length along flow, D: length perpendicular to the flow)
No Body Laminar/turbulent Status CD
1 Cube Re > 10,000 1.05
2 Thin circular disk Re > 10,000 1.1
3 Cone ( = 30o) Re > 10,000 0.5
5
4 Sphere Laminar Re < 2×10 0.5
Turbulent Re > 2×106 0.2
5 Ellipsoid Laminar Re < 2×105 0.3-0.5
Turbulent Re > 2×106 0.1-0.2
6 Hemisphere Re > 10,000 Concave face 0.4
Re > 10,000 Flat face 1.2
7 Rectangular plate Re > 10,000 Normal to the flow 1.1 - 1.3
5
8 Vertical cylinder Re < 2×10 L/D = 1 0.6
L/D = ∞ 1.2
9 Horizontal cylinder Re > 10,000 L/D = 0.5 1.1
L/D = 8 1
10 Parachute Laminar flow 1.3
b. Three dimensional bodies (L: length, D; diameter)
Table 12.9. Drag coefficient values for various geometries and shapes

Radar
transceiver
 Flight control system

Data link
INS Engine

Fuel tanks

Figure 12.15. Payload configuration in a VAV with a pusher engine

Establish payloads functions and mission requirements

Identify technical features of payloads

Select type of payloads

Select the payload devices

Design payload installation

Payload-structure integration Payload control Payload location

Are the design requirements met? No

Yes

Integrate with control system

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 Optimization

Figure 12.16. Payload selection/design process

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