Canadair CL-227 Sentinel
A coaxial-rotor UAV nicknamed the flying peanut.
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The Canadair CL-227 Sentinel is a remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) notable for its unusual bulbous peanut-shaped profile, which earned it the nickname 'flying peanut'. It uses a set of coaxial rotors emerging from the waist for lift, and its design incorporates measures to reduce radar and infrared signatures.
Background
The CL-227 Sentinel was designed in 1977, with the phase one prototype making its first flight on 25 August 1978. The larger production phase two vehicle first flew untethered on 14 December 1981. Following evaluation by NATO in March 1982, the UAV was made available to NATO allied clients in the early 1980s.
The vehicle's distinctively unusual bulbous peanut shaped profile gave it its nickname of the flying peanut. Lift is provided by a set of coaxial rotors emanating from the waist of the system. The engine air is exhausted upwards to minimize the infrared signature.
The blades are made of composite materials, as are all the external skin and legs, in an attempt to reduce the radar signature. The main structure is made mostly of aluminium. In the late 1990s, the CL-227 was replaced by an updated version, the CL-327, which was developed under Bombardier Aerospace after it acquired the assets of Canadair.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Canadair CL-227 Sentinel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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