JSYU UAV

UV-I

UV-I is the first UAV developed by JSYU for environmental surveillance missions, mainly for aerial pollution surveillance, particularly for pollutants with size of PM 2.5. Another mission is for agricultural mission, mainly for surveillance of pest and disease affected crops. To achieve such mission, the UV-I is equipped with hyperspectral imaging system. However, the expensive price tag for such system has prevented its wide use, because foreign hyperspectral imaging systems cost between 10 and 20 million ¥, and for the UAV platform, the price is at least three million ¥. The reason for such high price is because the weight of the hyperspectral imaging system is heavy and thus requiring larger UAV with higher price tag to carry it. As a result, JSYU decided to develop its own hyperspectral imaging system and UAV platform to carry it, which would be much cheaper then imported foreign counterparts. The result of JSYU’s effort of indigenous development is UV-I, which carries a light weight hyperspectral imaging system indigenously developed by JSYU.

Development of UV-I begun in September 2013 and maiden flight was completed at the beginning of 2014. UV-I is a fixed-wing UAV in conventional layout with high wing configuration and tricycle landing gear. Propulsion is provided by a two-blade propeller driven tractor engine mounted in the nose. The wing can be easily removed/installed for storage and rapid development. One of the greatest challenge is that the UAV can only carry a maximum of 25 kg, and most hyperspectral imaging system is heavier than this limit and thus cannot be carried. Dr. Zhang Li-Fu (张立福) of Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (中国科学院遥感与数字地球研究所) of Chinese Academy of Sciences CAS developed the light weight compact system needed, with weight reduced to 10 kg, and further development will reduce the weight by another half to 5 kg. The hyperspectral imaging system is manufactured at JSYU’s Beijing site, while the UAV platform is manufactured at JSYU’s Yangzhou site. The price of the UAV platform is only a third of those imported ones, at one million ¥, and the overall system is around seventy or eighty percent cheaper than the imported ones. Specification:

UV-II

UV-II is the development of UV-I based on experience learned from UV-I, and it is fielded in mid 2014. UV-II is constructed of honeycomb carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced plastic, thus increased strength of the airframe while ducing the weight by a third. The mission capability has expanded from the original agricultural and environmental surveillance to aerial photography, mineral surveying and other missions, and UV-II can operate in light rain. UV-II is almost identical to its predecessor UV-I in appearance, and the only obvious external visual difference between the two is that the tailplanes of UV-II have winglets. The landing gear of UV-II is constructed for CZ series aluminum alloy to provide strength to withstand 50 kg force while reducing weight. Like its predecessor UV-I, UV-II can be easily assembled in the field for rapid deployment. Specification: