NAL/ADE Golden Hawk
Indian MAV technology demonstrator with fixed-wing cropped delta design.
Last updated
The NAL/ADE Golden Hawk is a small, unmanned technology demonstrator, classified as a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). It was created through a collaboration between the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO and the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) of CSIR. Its airframe design, a cropped delta platform, originates from the work of Shashank Misra and is part of the National Program on Micro Air Vehicles (NP-MICAV).
The vehicle has a fixed-wing layout with a tractor configuration, meaning its two-bladed APC 7 x 5 propeller faces forward. This propeller is driven by a 25-watt brushless DC motor. Power comes from a lithium polymer battery (1350mAh, 11.1V, 3 cells) positioned ahead of the wing. The airframe itself is constructed from kevlar and foam.
The Golden Hawk can fly at speeds between 10 and 15 meters per second, with a flight endurance of half an hour. It carries a small camera capable of recording ground-level activity, with an operational range of 2 kilometers and the ability to capture video from an altitude of 80 to 100 meters. Control is via remote radio, and an autopilot system is also included. As of 2012, the prototypes were undergoing user trials.
Last updated 2026-09-28 from the source article.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) technology demonstrator
- Developers
- Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO and National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) of CSIR
- Design basis
- Basic design of Shashank Misra
- Airframe material
- Kevlar and foam
- Speed
- 10 to 15 m/s
- Operational range
- 2 km / 6,562 ft
- Altitude for video
- 80–100 m / 262–328 ft
- Propulsion
- 25 W brushless DC motor with APC 7 x 5, 2-bladed propeller (tractor configuration)
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- It has a flight endurance of 30 minutes and a speed of 10 to 15 m/s.
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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: NAL/ADE Golden Hawk (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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