Schweizer RU-38 Twin Condor - Development

Development

The RU-38 was intended to fulfill both the low altitude, quiet, over water/hostile terrain reconnaissance role and also the high altitude standoff surveillance role.

The design missions for the RU-23A were:

  • Border integrity
  • Counter-terrorism surveillance
  • Drug enforcement
  • Electronic intelligence
  • Fishery patrols
  • Illegal alien surveillance
  • Intelligence collection
  • Maritime patrol
  • Pollution patrol & environmental monitoring
  • Search and Rescue

In converting to the new RU-38A configuration, the conventional RG-8A airframe was greatly modified by:

  • Removing the single 235 hp (175 kW) Lycoming O-540-B powerplant
  • Installing two Teledyne Continental Motors GIO-550A engines with a 3:2 gear reduction to 2267 operating rpm. The engines are mounted one in the nose and the other in the rear of the fuselage.
  • Enlarging the crew compartment
  • Improving the engine mufflers
  • Increasing the wingspan from 56.5 ft (18.14 m) to 84.13 ft (25.65 m)
  • Changing the single tail fin to a twin-boom configuration with two fins
  • Greatly enlarged sensor bays
  • Improved noise signature reduction
  • Tricycle landing gear replacing the conventional landing gear

Read more about this topic:  Schweizer RU-38 Twin Condor

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