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Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
DOT/FAA/TC-xx/xx
Federal Aviation
Administration
William J. Hughes Technical
Center
Aviation Research Division
Atlantic City International
Airport
New Jersey 08405
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision
Severity – Projectile and Target
Definitions
December 16, 2016
This document is available to the U.S. public
through the National Technical Information
Services (NTIS), Springfield, Virginia 22161.
This document is also available from the
Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes
Technical Center at actlibrary.tc.faa.gov.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
NOTICE
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of
Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States
Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. The United
States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or
manufacturer's names appear herein solely because they are considered
essential to the objective of this report. The findings and conclusions in this
report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of
the funding agency. This document does not constitute FAA policy. Consult the
FAA sponsoring organization listed on the Technical Documentation page as to
its use.
This report is available at the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes
Technical Center’s Full-Text Technical Reports page: actlibrary.tc.faa.gov in
Adobe Acrobat portable document format (PDF).
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No.
DOT/FAA/TC-xx/xx
2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and
Target Definition
5. Report Date
December 16, 2016
6. Performing Organization Code
7. Author(s)
Douglas S. Cairns, Lysle A. Wood Distinguished Professor, Principal
Investigator
Graham Johnson, Graduate Research Assistant
8. Performing Organization
Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Montana State University as part of ASSURE (Alliance for System
Safety of UAS through Research Excellence
Bozeman, MT 59717
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
11. Contract or Grant No.
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
William J. Hughes Technical Center
Aviation Research Division
***BRANCH***
Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405
13. Type of Report and Period
Covered
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes
16. Abstract
This is the Volume I of the UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions from Montana
State University for Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Aircraft Air-to-Air Collision. This report is a study on
current unmanned aircraft systems as well as commercial and business jets operating within the National
Airspace System. As of early 2016, 3 lbs unmanned aircraft systems and below capture 60% of the FAA
Section 333 waivers, 80% are below 15 lbs, and only 1% are above 55 lbs.
This report is a catalog and justification of projectile and target selections for UAS Air to Air Collision studies.
Based on available data during the first quarter of 2016, the DJI Phantom 3 quad copter and Precision Hawk
fixed wing UAS were chosen as prototypical projectiles. The Boeing 737 is the most popular commercial
aircraft, and was chosen as the prototypical commercial aircraft target. A Lear 31A was chosen as the
prototypical business jet target as a consequence of its attributes and previous work.
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
17. Key Words
UAS Air to Air Collision, projectile, target,
commercial transport aircraft, business jet, impact
18. Distribution Statement
This document is available to the U.S. public through
the National Technical Information Service (NTIS),
Springfield, Virginia 22161. This document is also
available from the Federal Aviation Administration
William J. Hughes technical Center at
actlibrary.tc.faa.gov
19. Security Classif. (of this
report)
Unclassified
20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified
21. No. of
Pages
22. Price
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vi
1.0 PHASE I PROJECTILE (UAS CLASS) DEFINITION 1
1.1 PROJECTILES AND QUANTITIES IN SERVICE 1
1.1.1 COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE UAS 1
1.1.2 PRIVATE USERS 3
1.1.3 FIXED WING UAS AIRCRAFT 5
1.2 PROJECTILE SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS 6
1.2.1 SERVICE MISSIONS 7
1.3 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 8
1.4 FUTURE STUDIES 9
1.5 REFERENCES 8
2.0 PHASE II TARGET (AIRCRAFT TYPE) DEFINITIONS 10
2.1 TARGETS 10
2.1.1 BUSINESS JET 10
2.1.2 COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT 11
2.2 TARGET SPECIFICATIONS 12
2.2.1 BUSINESS JET 12
2.2.2 COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT 14
2.3 BUSINESS JET AND TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT TARGET SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSIONS 15
2.4 FUTURE WORK 16
2.5 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 16
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
ii
APPENDICES
Appendix Page
APPENDIX A UAS DATABASE (CURRENT AS OF EARLY 2016) A-1
APPENDIX B COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT AND BUSINESS JET DATABASE B-1
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
Figure I.1 A3 Air to Air Collision Tasks (Montana State work is in blue) viii
Figure 1.1 Platform as a % of FAA Exemption References 1
Figure 1.2 FAA Exemptions Based On MGTOWS < 55lbs 2
Figure 1.3 AUVSI Database Based On MGTOWS < 55LBS 2
Figure 1.4 Typical DJI Phantom 3 Series Configuration 4
Figure 1.5 Typical Precision Hawk Configuration 5
Figure 1.6 FAA Form 333 Exemptions by Type 8
Figure 1.7 Most Popular UAS: Mass, Velocity Vs Altitude 9
Figure 2.1 20 Business Jets Most Commonly Registered With the FAA 10
Figure 2.2 2015 Business Jet Sales 11
Figure 2.3 In-Service Commercial Aircraft 12
Figure 2.4 Lear 31A Business Jet Aircraft 13
Figure 2.5 Boeing 737 Classic 15
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
Table I.1 Approximate Division of Labor for Air to Air Collision Studies ix
Table I.2 Montana State University Specific Tasks ix
Table 1.1 Range of UAS Specifications 7
Table 2.1 Most Commonly Registered Business Jets – Specifications 143
Table 2.2 2015 New Business Jet Sales – Specifications 154
Table 2.3 Commercial Aircraft Specifications 175
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
v
LIST OF ACRONYMS
AGL Above Ground Level
ASSURE Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence
AUVSI Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
COA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
GA General Aviation
GAMA General Aviation Manufacturers Association
GCS Ground Control Station
GTOW Gross Take-Off Weight
JAA Joint Aviation Authority
MGTOW Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight
MSU Montana State University
NAS National Airspace System
NIAR National Institute for Aviation Research
NPIAS National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
UA Unmanned Aircraft
UAH University of Alabama, Huntsville
UAS Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Montana State University would like to thank the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned
Aircraft Systems, ASSURE, for supporting this work. MSU would also like to thank AUVSI for
the use of their UAS database, enabled by Mike Toscano and administered by David Klein. The
AUVSI database is the most comprehensive UAS database in the world and without it, the
conclusions drawn in this report would not have been possible. MSU further appreciates the
collaboration with University of Alabama, Huntsville. Dave Arterburn is the team leader for Air
to Ground UAS collisions, and MSU and UAH share a common need for a database on impact
modeling.
Also appreciated is the work of Dr. Geraldo Olivares and the rest of the Crash Dynamics Lab &
Computational Mechanics Lab at the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State
University. Their proactive development of the 737 and Learjet 31A models has saved substantial
development time and money for the UAS Airborne Collision Severity Evaluation. Drs. Kiran D’
Souza from the Ohio State University and Tom Lacy from Mississippi State University have been
important collaborators for this first year, and as we move forward.
Special thanks to those in the FAA who have been involved throughout include Sabrina Saunders-
Hodge, Chris Swider, Bill Oehlschlager, and Paul Campbell. Special thanks is due to Paul
Rumberger who has been instrumental for bridging the diverse operational cultures of universities
and the FAA into a working entity for ASSURE.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This work is a summary of initial projectile and target definitions for Unmanned Aircraft Systems
(UAS) to Aircraft Collision studies. The emphasis of the first work has been on UAS to
Commercial Transport and Business Jet collisions.
The work began with a survey of available UAS and FAA waivers for UAS operations. This is a
very dynamic field, and the data herein represent available data through the first quarter of 2016.
Several findings were important. These are summarized below:
• The most popular platforms for FAA exemptions are also among the most popular in the
recreational market, i.e. recreational UAS very capable
• 3 lbs MTOW and below capture 60% of the FAA waivers, 80% are below 15 lbs, and only
1% are above 55 lbs
• Small UAS (3 lbs MTOW) are capable of flying to 18,000 MSL or above
• Rotorcraft type UAS numbers far exceed fixed wing
• DJI is the major player, with 60% of the exemptions being a Phantom type platform
• DJI is the largest supplier to the commercial and recreational market
• UAS types and applications are a dynamic situation
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
vii
The DJI Phantom 3 was chosen as the prototypical rotorcraft UAS for collision studies. A Precision
Hawk fixed wing aircraft was also chosen for UAS to Aircraft collision studies.
The next task was to determine typical targets for the studies. The Boeing 737 was chosen as the
prototypical commercial transport target. It is the most popular commercial transport aircraft in
the world. A Lear 31A business jet was chosen as the Business Jet target. Not coincidentally, the
National Institute for Aviation Research has previously developed detailed airframe finite element
models of these targets, saving 15,000-20,000 person-hours of work.
INTRODUCTION
The FAA project developed by the UAS Center of Excellence ASSURE (ASSUREuas.org) on
UAS to Aircraft Collision was conducted by Wichita State University, National Institution for
Aviation Research (NIAR, Lead), Mississippi State University, Montana State University, and the
Ohio State University. A high level overview from the proposal is shown in Figure I.1
During the course of the project, the approximate task and subtask responsibilities are shown in
Table I.1 and the specific tasks for Montana State University are shown in Table I.2.
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
viii
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Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
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Figure I.1 A3 Air to Air Collision Tasks (Montana State work is in blue)
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
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Table I.1 Approximate Division of Labor for Air to Air Collision Studies
Table I.2 Montana State University Specific Tasks
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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1.0 PHASE I PROJECTILE (UAS CLASS) DEFINITION
1.1 PROJECTILES AND QUANTITIES IN SERVICE
There are three main entities operating UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) in the NAS (National
Airspace System at this time in the U.S.:
1. Government Agencies, which are not considered in this report
2. Commercial entities for profit
3. Private, hobbyist users for recreational use
1.1.1 COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE UAS
Commercial entity UAS use are monitored and governed by the FAA through the application and
award of a Form 333 Exemption which, if granted, results in a commercial entity being given a
COA (Certificate of Waiver or Authorization). Within each exemption request the entity must
identify the specific UAS platform they intend to use (multiple platforms can be referenced in the
same exemption request) as well as the industry with which they will be using the UAS.
As of early 2016, the Department of Transportation had granted 3,306 Form 333 Exemptions
across a wide range of industries [1.4]. Analyzing these exemptions shows that the most
commonly referenced UAS is the DJI Phantom 2 and 3 series of quad copters [1.3].
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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Figure 1.1 Platform as a % of FAA Exemption References
Further analysis of the exemptions database shows some striking trends for the UAS being used in
commercial applications. While one might initially think that commercial applications would
involve UAS on the heavier side, but that is not the case. Figure 1.2 shows that over 1/3 of all
FAA Exemptions are under 5lbs. If this < 5lbs weight class is further broken down, it shows that
14% of exemptions (approx. 460 total exemptions) occur around the weight class of the most
common exempted aircraft, the DJI Phantom series. Furthermore, an additional 9% of all
exemptions occur below 2 lbs.
41%
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DJIPhantom 3
DJISpreading
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3DR IRIS DJISpreading
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Typhoon
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YAs mult iple platforms are referenced in a s ingle exemption,
the f requencies sum to more than 100%
Model / Platform
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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Figure 1.2 FAA Exemptions Based On MGTOWS < 55lbs
The AUVSI data follows these trends for MGTOW’s. Figure 1.3 below shows the AUVSI
(Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) database broken down in similar
fashion as the FAA Exemption database.
Figure 1.3 AUVSI Database Based On MGTOWS < 55LBS
36%
25%
19%
4%
7%
4%2%
1% 1%0%
1%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
below 5 5 - 10 10 - 15 15 - 20 20 - 25 25 - 30 35 - 40 40 - 45 45 - 50 50 - 55 over 55
% O
F EX
EMP
TIO
NS
MGTOW (LBS)
29%
21%
13%
8%
6% 6%4% 3%
4%2%
4%
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5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
below 5 5 - 10 10 - 15 15 - 20 20 - 25 25 - 30 35 - 40 40 - 45 45 - 50 50 - 55 over 55
% O
F D
ATA
BA
SE
MGTOW (LBS)
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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In speaking with DJI representatives, their impression is that the UAS market will continue a
downward MGTOW (Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight) trend as materials get lighter, and
electronics get smaller and lighter.
Since missions are not monitored, there is there is no way to estimate or measure how many
commercial entities are operating their UAS on any given day. One would, in fact, assume that as
a commercial operator, these entities would be trying to maximize their flight hours to maximize
their potential profit making them a potentially constant NAS user. Probabilistic estimate of
projectiles and target threats may be difficult.
1.1.2 PRIVATE USERS
Private user UAS use is monitored and governed by the FAA through an online (there is the
opportunity to mail in a registration form) self-registration form. Private users intending on flying
UAS between .55lbs and 55lbs are required to enter their name, address (mailing and physical)
and email address. They are issued a registration ID that they are required to mark on all UAS
they operate. One registration ID is sufficient for all of a user’s UAS and is valid for 3 years.
Unfortunately, the FAA does not require private users to disclose the type of UAS they are
operating, leaving the exact number and type of UAS being used by private individuals up to
speculation. The problem can be bounded by the fact that there have been almost 300,000 private
registrations since the FAA instituted the self-registration process December 21st, 2015 [1.5].
Furthermore, with a high degree of probability, it can be assumed that the most common UAS
owned by the private population is a DJI model as DJI is the largest non-military drone
manufacturer in the world [1.6]. And, that DJI product is likely a Phantom 1, 2, or 3. However,
the exact quantity of UAS in private hands, being flown on a day to day basis, actual flight hours,
is not known. Moreover, as UAS manufacturers are almost all privately owned companies,
accurate sales data for specific units is not available.
Therefore, while it is probably safe to assume that the DJI Phantom is the most popular UAS with
any capability, specific UAS quantities and flight hours are simply not known. Anyway, the DJI
Phantom 3 was chosen as the prototypical rotorcraft for UAS collision studies. A typical
configuration is shown in Figure 1.4.
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
5
Figure 1.4 Typical DJI Phantom 3 Series Configuration [1.6]
Commercial and private entities primarily operate either rotorcraft or fixed wing aircraft. Of the
over 900 platforms that AUVSI lists as being under 55lbs, 33% are rotorcraft, either single or multi
[1.1].
1.1.3 FIXED WING UAS AIRCRAFT
It was desired to add another small UAS in the fixed wing category. These are substantially less
popular in the FAA database, and small by any sales metric compared to rotorcraft type UAS.
However, fixed wing UAS represent a different kind of threat compared to rotorcraft due to
differences in geometry, mass distribution, range, endurance, and typical weight. For Air to Air
Collision studies, the Precision Hawk commercial UAS has been selected. This was essentially
done by accolade, but it has features which are relevant to this first collision study. It is a relatively
well known UAS to the FAA, and 337 exemption status is relatively easy to obtain. The Precision
Hawk is part of the FAA’s Pathfinder program, to extend use of UAS beyond visual line of sight.
Furthermore, the lead university for ASSURE, Mississippi State University, has done collaborative
research and development with Precision Hawk. The following specifications apply to the
Precision Hawk. (MTOWMGTOW 7.5 lbs, wingspan = 4.9 ft, up to 60 minutes endurance). A
typical Precision Hawk is shown in Figure 1.5.
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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Figure 1.5 Typical Precision Hawk Configuration [1.7]
1.2 PROJECTILE SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS
With 2,700+ air platforms, 800+ maritime and 800+ ground platforms in their database, AUVSI
is the most comprehensive database of unmanned systems and robotics in the industry. AUVSI
estimates that approx. 33% of all UAS are rotorcraft platforms. The specifications of these
platforms vary from:
MGTOW: .8 ounces to 55 lbs.
Maximum speed: 11 to 104 knots
Endurance: 10 minutes to 12 hours
Range: 260’ to 46 miles
Maximum altitude: 82’ to 19,000’ [1.1]
Materials
o Structural members
Engineering thermoplastics
Fiberglass
Carbon Fiber
Aluminum
o Rotors – most often fiberglass or carbon fiber
o Batteries – primarily lithium based
o Propulsion source
Primarily electric motors consisting of aluminum or plastic housings with
iron and cobalt alloys
Combustion engines account for 183 of the 930 AUVSI platforms below
55lbs
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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It is critically important to note that these specifications are all based upon software and hardware
that is easily user modified as well as environmental operating conditions. For instance, while
3DR reports their Solo UAS as having a maximum AGL altitude of 400’, they also specify that it
is “user adjustable;” web searches show users flying above the 400’ limit, as high as 800’+.
Therefore, while the afore mentioned specifications are valuable in understanding the breadth of
capabilities of UAS currently available to the public, they are not necessarily indicative of the
maximum capabilities of those UAS. Moreover, there is not a linear relation between MGTOW
and speed, endurance, range and/or maximum altitudes.
For instance, Table 1.1 represents a random sampling of the maximum and minimum values within
each specification category. Within each category there is not a clear formula to be applied to
determine desired specifications.
Table 1.1 Range of UAS Specifications
Make / Platform
Platform
MGTOW
(lbs)
Max Speed
(knots)
Endurance
(hours)
Max Range
(miles)
Max altitude
(ft)
DJI Phantom 2 2.9 29.2 0.4 0.6 400 – 2000
Aeryon Labs
SkyRanger
5.3 35 0.8 3.1 15000
Aibotix Aibot X6 14.3 48.6 0.5 13123
UAV Solutions
Allerion 25-T
25 12 0.1 250
Parrot Bebop 0.8 25 0.2 0.2 450
Challis Heliplane UAV
E950
55 1 21
Dragonfly Pictures
DP-6XT Whisper
50 70 1 46 15000
1.2.1 SERVICE MISSIONS
Form 333 Exemptions require the applicant to list their expected use. Based on analyzing these
exemptions, almost half of all exemptions list Photo/Film as their business use. Note - commercial
entities can list multiple uses per exemption request. Exemption uses are shown in Figure 1.6.
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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Figure 1.6 FAA Form 333 Exemptions by Type
1.3 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
With a projected 700,000 [1.8] to one million UAS sold in 2015 [1.8], over 3,000 FAA Form 333
Exemptions granted [1.5], and an industry annual revenue worth over $100 million [1.8], drones
are ever more a part of our society. The speed, range and altitude that an off the shelf UAS can
reach is both a marvel to our engineering ability and potential threat for manned aircraft (Figure
1.7).
Defining a typical small UAS for Air to Air Collison studies is a “moving target”. However, given
the information available at the time of this report, the DJI Phantom series as well as the Precision
Hawk are plausible platforms to determine initial threats to manned aircraft. After initial studies,
these can be scaled up or down to bound the threats from small UAS Air to Air collisions.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
9
Figure 1.7 Most Popular UAS: Mass, Velocity Vs Altitude
1.4 FUTURE STUDIES
The small UAS arena in the US is very dynamic. It is difficult to drive a stake in and declare that
it will not change. The distribution of small UAS in the NAS is also expected to be heavily
influenced by conclusions from the FAA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for small UAS [1.9].
The FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned
Aircraft Systems were the only available FAA UAS specifications at the time the decisions for
defining UAS projectiles for collision studies had to be made. FAA Part 107, Small Unmanned
Aircraft Systems (sUAs), FAA Advisory Circular 107-2 [1.10] now supersedes Reference [1.9].
Future definitions of UAS Projectiles for collision studies should keep apprised of the evolution
of UAS platforms and use as a consequence of Part 107.
In terms of future database development and management, discussions are under way with the
University of Alabama, Huntsville. UAH has developed a more user-friendly version of the data
and have agreed to be the official ASSURE UAS database manager.
1.5 REFERENCES
1.1 AUVSI, "Air Platform Search," 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.auvsi.org/home .
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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1.2 US DOT, "Airframe Inventories for BTS Form 41 Reporting Carriers," 31 December 2001.
[Online]. Available:
http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/subject_areas/airline_information/airfra
me_cost_report/index.html . [Accessed 22 February 2016].
1.3 A. H. Michel and D. Gettinger, "The Drone Exemptions Database," 30 September 2015.
[Online]. Available: http://dronecenter.bard.edu/the-exemptions-database/ . [Accessed 7
February 2016].
1.4 "Authorizations Granted Via Section 333 Exemptions," 5 February 2016. [Online].
Available: http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/section_333/333_authorizations/ .
[Accessed 5 February 2016].
1.5 Federal Aviation Administration, "FAA Press Releases," 22 January 2016. [Online].
Available: https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=19914 .
1.6 R. Mac, F. Bi and H. Shao, "World's Largest Drone Manufacturer DJI Seeking To Raise at
$10 Billion Valuation," 14 April 2015. [Online]. Available:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2015/04/14/worlds-largest-drone-manufacturer-dji-
seeking-to-raise-at-10-billion-valuation/#266a0a5777db . [Accessed 7 February 2016].
1.7 Precision Hawk, www.precisionhawk.com
1.8 Business Wire, "New Tech to Drive CE Industry Growth in 2015, Projects CEA’s Midyear
Sales and Forecasts Report," 15 July 2015. [Online]. Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150715006129/en/Tech-Drive-CE-Industry-
Growth-2015-Projects.
1.9 FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned
Aircraft Systems, FAA Docket Number, FAA-2015-0150.
1.10 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAs), FAA Advisory Circular 107-2, 6/21/16.
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2.0 PHASE II TARGET (AIRCRAFT TYPE) DEFINITIONS
2.1 TARGETS
For the Air to Air Collision work, targets had to be defined. As with the UAS projectile, the targets
need to be representative of a wide variety of commercial and business jet aircraft. The
specifications and rationale for target choices are provided below.
2.1.1 BUSINESS JET
The 20 most common business jets range from 8 – 20 passengers, in addition to a flight crew of 2
- 4. These jets average a wingspan of 52ft with a range of 1,750nm at a maximum speed of over
400 knots. Cessna manufacturers 30% of this market.
Figure 2.1 20 Business Jets Most Commonly Registered With the FAA
378 Business jets were sold in the United States in 2015 [2.2]. Aircraft with over 20 sales are
shown below. Note that some aircraft manufacturers do not itemize their aircraft sales and as such
sales from companies such as Dassault Falcon Jet will show multiple models aggregated into a
single sales figure. While this does not provide a direct model quantity, it does provide a valuable
trend for market analytics.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
UN
ITS
MAKE / MODEL
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Figure 2.2 2015 Business Jet Sales
Industry analysts consistently rank the top business jet manufacturers (based both on customer
satisfaction & industry sales) as Gulfstream, Cessna and Bombardier [2.3], [2.4].
2.1.2 COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT
The most common commercial aircraft as evidenced by FAA registrations is the Boeing 737 with
over 2,000 aircraft registrations. The 737 leads all other commercial aircraft registrations by
almost a factor of four [2.1]. As of February 2016, over 8,920 Boeing 737 ships have been
delivered with another 4,378 on order [2.5]. Wichita State University has spent over 10,000 hours
“reverse engineering” the 737 airframe [2.6]. Figure 2.3 clearly shows the prevalence of the 737,
making it an obvious choice for the UAS to Commercial Aircraft Air to Air Collision studies.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
SALE
S Q
UA
NTI
TY
MAKE / MODEL
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Figure 2.3 In-Service Commercial Aircraft
2.2 TARGET SPECIFICATIONS
2.2.1 BUSINESS JET
Wichita State University reverse engineered the Learjet 31A. This was a similar effort to reverse
engineer the Boeing 737 stated above. While the Learjet 31A may not be the most popular airframe
for business jets as in the case of the Boeing 737 in the commercial market, the Learjet 31A is
typical in terms of specifications for the business fleet. Its max speed is at the upper end of the
range in Table 2.1. For these reasons, the Lear 31A was chosen as the prototypical business jet
target for UAS to Aircraft collision studies. A typical Lear 31A aircraft is shown in Figure 2.4.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500Q
UA
NTI
TY I
N S
ERV
ICE
MAKE / MODEL
2001 (Rita)
2016 (FAA)
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Figure 2.4 Lear 31A Business Jet Aircraft [2.7]
Table 2.1 Most Commonly Registered Business Jets – Specifications
Make / Model
Cessna
560XL
Cessna
560
Cessna 525
(CJ1)
Learjet
31A
Average
Specifications
FAA Registrations 591 583 480 132 -
Wingspan (ft) 56 52 47 44 52
Length (ft) 52 49 43 49 48
Height (ft) 17 15 14 12 15
Max Speed (knots) 429 427 380 481 412
Wing Surface Area
(sqft) 370 343 240 264 318
Skin material Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum
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Propulsion –
Turbofan (kN) (2) 16.9 (2) 12.9 (2) 8.45 (2) 15.6 (2) 13
Range (nm) 2080 1920 1250 1266 1750
Max GTOW (lbs) 20000 16300 10600 17000 15633
An interesting trend is noted in Table 2.2. The recent sales of business jets represents a trend to
larger and faster aircraft. This trend will be monitored to ensure that the studies developed for UAS
to Aircraft Air to Air Collision are current and relevant.
Table 2.2 2015 New Business Jet Sales – Specifications
Make / Model Gulfstream 550 Embraer Phenom 300 Bombardier Global 5000
Wingspan (ft) 94 52 94
Length (ft) 96 51 97
Height (ft) 26 17 26
Max Speed (knots) 580 520 513
Wing Surface Area
(sqft) n/a n/a 1022
Skin material Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum
Propulsion – Turbofan
(kN) (2) 68.4 (2) 14.95 (2) 65.6
Engine Configuration rear fuselage
mounted rear fuselage mounted rear fuselage mounted
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Range (nm) 6750 1971 5200
Max GTOW (lbs) 91000 17968 92500
Aircraft Operation Passenger Passenger Passenger
2.2.2 COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT
All of the aircraft in Table 2.3 have similar speeds, and are represented by the Boeing 737 model.
Vulnerable regions such as aircraft windows, wing leading edges, control surfaces, and engines
can be modeled with the 737, with general threat conclusions to the fleet. Specific design details
of a given aircraft may need to be studied if the configuration differs significantly from the 737
airframe detail.
Consequently, the Boeing 737 Classic, shown in Figure 2.5 was chosen as the prototypical
commercial transport for Air to Air Collision Studies.
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Table 2.3 Commercial Aircraft Specifications
Make / Model
Boeing 737-
300 Boeing 757-200 Airbus A320-232
McDonnell-Douglas
MD-81
Wingspan (ft) 95 125 112 108
Length (ft) 110 155 123 148
Height (ft) 37 45 39 30
Max Speed
(knots) 490 493 488 500
Wing Surface
Area (sqft) 1135 1994 1320 1209
Skin material Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum
Propulsion
System (kN)
(2) 89
Turbofans
(2) 189.5
Turbofans (2) 110 Turbofans (2) 82.3 Turbofans
Engine
Configuration
under wing
mounted
under wing
mounted
under wing
mounted
rear fuselage
mounted
Range (nm) 3400 3929 3078 1564
Max GTOW (lbs) 138500 255000 170000 149500
Aircraft Operation Passenger,
Cargo Passenger, Cargo Passenger, Cargo Passenger, Cargo
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Figure 2.5 Boeing 737 Classic [2.8]
2.3 BUSINESS JET AND TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT TARGET SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSIONS
Business jets make up a large portion of the GA market and combined with commercial aircraft,
represent the bulk of high altitude targets. They are also vulnerable in landing configurations
around busy commercial and GA airports. By evaluating the Boeing 737 and Learjet 31A, the
majority of the commercial and business jet aircraft will be represented in any studies involving
severability and survivability of airstrikes between aircraft and UAS.
2.4 FUTURE WORK
This study will be revisited throughout the life of the FAA ASSURE Center of Excellence to ensure
that the airframes studied are still representative of the typical targets for commercial aircraft and
business jet, UAS to Aircraft Air to Air Collisions. For FY 2017, it is incumbent to study additional
aircraft, most notably rotorcraft and smaller, low altitude GA for UAS Air to Air collisions since
it is anticipated that these collisions could be more catastrophic compared to the aircraft presented
in this first report.
2.5 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
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2.1 FAA, "Make / Model Inquiry," 9 March 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Inquiry.aspx . [Accessed 10 March 2016].
2.2 GAMA, "Quarterly Shipments and Billings," 17 February 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www.gama.aero/media-center/industry-facts-and-statistics/shipments-billings .
[Accessed 22 February 2016].
2.3 K. Spence, "The Most Popular Business Jets -- This Is How the Elite Like to Fly," 28 August
2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/08/18/the-most-
popular-business-jets-this-is-how-the-eli.aspx . [Accessed 23 February 2016].
2.4 N. Chieco, "The Top Five Business Jets of Today," 6 January 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www.nycaviation.com/2015/01/best-bizjets-today/#.VsyO6PkrKUl . [Accessed 23
February 2016].
2.5 Boeing, "Orders - Deliveries: Boeing," 25 March 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/#/orders-deliveries . [Accessed 25 March 2016].
2.6 Personal communication with Gerardo Olivares, NIAR, January, 2016.
2.7 Lear Corporation, now Bombardier Corp. http://businessaircraft.bombardier.com/en/aircraft
2.8 Boeing Commercial Aircraft, www.Boeing.com/comercial .
2.9 US DOT, "Airframe Inventories for BTS Form 41 Reporting Carriers," 31 December 2001.
2.10 [Online]. Available:
http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/subject_areas/airline_information/airfra
me_cost_report/index.html . [Accessed 22 February 2016].
2.11 Airliners.net, "Airliners.net," 23 February 2016. [Online]. Available:
http//www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/. [Accessed 23 February 2016].
2.12 Flugzeug, "Flugzeuginfo.net," 1 January 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/index_en.php . [Accessed 10 March 2016].
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definitions
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2.13 Wikipedia, "Wikipedia," 23 February 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www.wikipedia.com . [Accessed 23 February 2016].
2.14 Gulfstream, "Gulfstream G550," 23 February 2016. [Online]. Available:
http//www.gulfstream.com/aircraft/gulfstream-g550 . [Accessed 23 February 2016].
2.15 Embraer, "Phenom 300," 23 February 2016. [Online]. Available:
http//www.embraerexecutivejets.com/en-us/jets/phenom-300/pages/overview.aspx .
[Accessed 23 February 2016].
Volume I – UAS Airborne Collision Severity – Projectile and Target Definition
A-1
APPENDIX A UAS DATABASE (CURRENT AS OF EARLY 2016)
Microsoft Excel
97-2003 Worksheet
SEE ASSURE/FAA KSN for EXCEL FILE DATABASE