GEAT UAVs
| GEAT UAV | |
|---|---|
| Role | UAV |
| National origin | China |
| Manufacturer | GEAT |
| Designer | Dr. Zhu Shangxiang |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | China |
|
| |
GEAT UAVs are Chinese experimental UAVs developed by Mianyang Golden Eagle Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. (GEAT, 绵阳金鹰航空科技有限公司). Two UAVs have been identified as of 2013, one jet-powered and another propeller-driven, and both utilize the Zhu’s flap (朱氏蓬翼/朱氏襟翼增升技术), a patented developed by Beihang University professor Dr. Zhu Shangxiang (朱上翔), who is also the funder of GEAT. Zhu’s flap is basically a retractable flap from the wing and during takeoff and landing, the flap is extended from the wing to increase lift, and during level flight, it is retracted back to the wing to reduce drag. Both GEAT designs incorporate this feature and are both currently under development.
The jet-powered GEAT UAV shapes like a scaled-down Silkworm missile except the UAV adopts shoulder wing as opposed to the mid wing of Silkworm missile. The three-piece tailplanes of GEAT jet-powered UAV are arranged in Y shape, as opposed to the inverted Y shape of Silkworm missile. The inlet is located above the fuselage.[1] The propeller-driven GEAT UAV has a conventional layout and tricycle landing gear system, and like its jet-powered cousin, it also has a shoulder wing configuration.[2]