
Vigilante
 is a SAIC developed family of Optionally Piloted and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that are available to fly your payload. These lightweight, low cost, highly capable aircraft are based on the commercially available Ultrasport 496 sport helicopter. Because Vigilante
 is based on a kit, it uses a large number of Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) components. Commercial production and use of COTS means fewer spares required on hand and less expensive long-term support for the user.
There are two variants of Vigilante

. Both have a maximum gross weight of 1,100 pounds, a main rotor diameter of 23 feet, an overall length of 26 feet, and a main rotor height of about 8 feet. They both have a shrouded tail rotor. The rotating tail rotor drive shaft is enclosed in tailboom for safety. All variants have excellent autorotation capabilities.
The Vigilante

496 OPV is either optionally piloted or an autonomous UAV. It is capable of a maximum true air speed of 75 knots and ceiling of 12,000 feet. It has 12 ft 3 interior volume and a 300lb. payload capacity with its full fuel capacity of 18 gallons.
With its
Hirth engine, it has about 5 hours of endurance.
496
The Vigilante

502 is a UAV only aircraft. It is capable of a maximum true air speed of 117 knots and ceiling of 13,000 feet.
It has 5 ft 3 interior volume, a 150-lb. payload capacity with its full 36 gallon fuel capacity in a crashworthy fuel system. Its design has less drag for improved aerodynamic performance.
It uses a Rotax 914 turbo engine.
502
As a total system, Vigilante includes air vehicle and ground support systems. It is easily transported via trailer towed by auto/truck/van.
It is reconfigurable for variety of datalinks and payloads.
It can be operated by as few as two people. Payload specifics can be traded for range and endurance.
Payload (kg)
This estimate based on a
Vigilante 502 with an empty weight of 720 pounds:
• 4 gal /hr endurance at 30 to 40 knots
• 5 to 6 gal/hr in cruise at 80 knots, 30 minute reserve
The dashed line represents the current fuel tank maximum of 36 gallons.
To meet mission require-ments it could be increased to a maximum of 58 gallons.
181
136
91
45
0
0
0
50
2
100
4
Payload (lb)
400
300
200
100
150
6
200
Range (nm)
8
Endurance
(hr)
250
10
300
12
350
14
400
1
6
For more information contact: Tom Ciarula , SAIC Vigilante Program Manager, Thomas.A.Ciarula@saic.com, 703-276-3125


The aircraft avionics system uses a high-quality navigation sensor, an integrated INS/GPS solution, and an integrated air data system. It has robust fault detection and recovery capabilities.
It has a PC104-based processor suite using proven, off-the-shelf hardware in a compact, easily accessible packaging using the low-cost Linux-based operating system.
The Vigilante

Ground Control Station is a complete system providing dynamic real-time control of the Vigilante VTOL
UAV. The Vigilante

Ground Control Software incorporates special controls and displays tailored to the special requirements of rotary wing aircraft, especially distinguishing between hovering and forward flight modes. The system has provisions for multiple modes of operator interactions, including real-time flight director style commands, supervised autonomy of waypoint-based navigation, and fully autonomous flight (for recovery after lost link).
The ground station software suite includes control of redundant command and status data links, real-time system safety monitoring functions, telemetry recording, and display/playback recorded data.
of
The Ground control station features redundant command/status
RF links in 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz. There is also a 72 MHz backup safety pilot command link and a 425 MHz flight termination link.
A variety of additional real-time sensing elements are recorded by the ground station including: engine health & status instrumentation, EGT and CHT, separate rotor and engine speed, electrical power system status, a radar altimeter (0-600m), and an ultrasonic ground proximity warning system.
Mission control is done via the GCS through redundant frequency-hopping digital datalinks having a 20 NM range.
The operator may select levels of control authority over the vehicle ranging from hands-off, waypoint inputs (from A to B at C speed at D altitude) to joystick controlled velocity commands (climb at x rate, turn at y rate, cruise at z rate, etc).
Automatic takeoff and land, pre-programmed lost link recovery, and emergency autorotations are also executed autonomously.
Situational awareness is provided by digital maps, aircraft health displays, and payload operations screens presented on the GCS display. A stand-alone Flight Termination System is available optionally.
.
This ground control station is a hardware and software implementation based on the field-proven SAIC Direct
Dissemination Element (DDE) that supports the Global Hawk long endurance UAV.
It provides a complete ground
IMU
Stat us control software suite, flight systems controls and displays, data acquisition recording and file management and mission management tools.
Its user-friendly interface permits safe employment by low- time operators and its modular design permits rapid incorporation of specialized inter-faces.
The Vigilante
 system has also demonstrated integrated operation of a
POP-100 EO/IR sensor in flight.
The initial Flight Test Program has demonstrated speeds up to
50kts, altitudes up to 500 ft (limited by test range) and ranges out to 2 miles (limited by COTS datalink performance). The program has over 12 hours of flight time in autonomous flight modes and
150 hours of airborne flight-testing.
© Science Applications International Corporation