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
Famous quotes containing the word development:
“There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities. They will not bear discussion.”
—John Emerich Edward Dalberg, 1st Baron Acton (18341902)
“Theories of child development and guidelines for parents are not cast in stone. They are constantly changing and adapting to new information and new pressures. There is no right way, just as there are no magic incantations that will always painlessly resolve a childs problems.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“The young women, what can they not learn, what can they not achieve, with Columbia University annex thrown open to them? In this great outlook for womens broader intellectual development I see the great sunburst of the future.”
—M. E. W. Sherwood (18261903)