The Techno-Sud Vigilant is a small UAV helicopter developed in France in the 1990s for reconnaissance and surveillance applications.

It is a helicopter of conventional main-tail rotor configuration, and powered by a 9 kW (12 hp) two-stroke engine. The Vigilant is marketed by Thales, and is being sold to both military and civilian users. Civilian users have accounted for the bulk of sales, using it for applications such as security or environmental monitoring.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: None
• Length: 2.30 m (7 ft 6 in)
• Gross weight: 40 kg (90 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × piston engine , 9.0 kW (12 hp)
• Main rotor diameter: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 100 km/h (60 mph, 52 kn)
• Endurance: 1 hours
• Service ceiling: 1,800 m (6,000 ft)

References

• Vigilant on FAS website
• "French plan tiny helicopter". New York Times. 17 March 1994. Retrieved 2008-06-19.

This article contains material that originally came from the web article "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.