Airbus to begin flight trials of Tanan Block 2 UAS

Airbus Defence and Space is performing ground tests on the Tanan Block 2 vertical take-off and landing unmanned aircraft system (UAS), with first flight expected to take place in next couple of months.
News of the impending first flight came as a quarter-scale mock-up of the rotary-winged UAS was being showcased at the Singapore Airshow.
With the Block 1 Tanan having been based on the CybAero's APID 60 design, the Block 2 has a large amount of changes in the aircraft structure and control systems.
Visible differences from the Block 1 includes changes in the location of the electro-optic sensor, provision for a maritime radar under the nose, the Harpoon deck-recovery system, and an increased rotor column length to improve flight performance. The Block 2 version retains the same heavy fuel engine successfully flight tested in Block 1 version.
Tanan Block 2 has a maximum take-off weight of 350 kg, and is capable of carrying 80 kg of mission payload. It has a maximum endurance of 12 hours, a top speed of 80 kt, a radius of operation of 100 n miles, and a service ceiling of 13,000 ft.
There have been no firm contracts to date, navies around the world are showing strong interest on the latest version of Tanan.
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