Scion UAS Completes First Flight of SA-400 Jackal

Scion UAS has completed the first test flights of the production SA-400 Jackal Optionally Piloted Helicopter. The first flight comes after extensive flight tests of the prototype helicopter and shortly after receiving a special airworthiness certificate for experimental research and development for the optionally piloted SA-400 helicopter.

The SA-400 Jackal is a turbine powered vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) that can carry a 100 lb payload with an endurance of over 4 hours. It is capable of automatic launch and recovery from a moving ship at sea. The first two production vehicles will be delivered to the Naval Research Laboratory for use in developing and demonstrating emerging sensor systems.

The SA-400 (along with its “little brother,” the SA-200) will be on display 13-15 Aug 2013 at the AUVSI Convention at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC.

Founded in 2011, Scion UAS, LLC offers a product family of unmanned helicopter systems that range in size from car-transportable to optionally piloted helicopters. The VTOL UAS provides a simple to use aerial platform that can perform a wide variety of civilian and military applications including mining, agriculture, and aerial surveys.