| Sky-X | |
|---|---|
 Sky-X at Paris Air Show 2007 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Unmanned aerial vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Alenia Aeronautica |
| Primary user | Research prototype |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 29 May 2005 |
TheAlenia AeronauticaSky-X is a self-financedunmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fordemonstration and research purpose; on May 29, 2005, it became the first European-designedUAV in the over 1000kg category to fly with success.[1]
The roll-out of the Sky-X was carried out by Alenia in May 2003 and, after 18 months of development, it first flew at theSwedish test area ofVidsel.
After a first test campaign conducted with ground control in order to explore the whole flight envelope the development has focused on the autonomous flight systems, in particular the ATOL system (Assisted take off and landing), thecollision avoidance, the precision autonomous navigation, the sight autonomous landing and attack and the autonomous formation fly capabilities. In 2008 the Sky-X demonstrated the capability of carrying out the join-up maneuvers necessary forin-fly refueling with anAlenia C-27J.[2]
Thanks to the technologies developed for the Sky-X in 2005 Alenia Aeronautica has joined thenEUROn European program with a consistent development share.[3]
Data from[citation needed]
General characteristics
Performance
