Alenia Aermacchi Sky-Y

Lore & Background

The Sky-Y was rolled out by Alenia in June 2007 after 12 months of development, and it first flew at the Swedish test area of Vidsel. As a testbed for key MALE UAV technologies, the aircraft includes a heavy fuel engine of automotive derivation, a new night and day ATOL system (Autonomous Take Off and Landing), a collision avoidance system, and an advanced data link with surveillance sensor data integration.

After a first test campaign conducted to explore the whole flight envelope and engine performance, development focused on data treatment, elaboration, and fusion with the onboard Galileo Avionica EOS-45 IR camera, the Selex Galileo SAR radar, and the satellite datalink. The company is now looking toward developing a new bigger dual-use MALE UAV derived from the Sky-Y experience, the Molynx.

Reader's Guide

The Sky-Y served as a self-financed technology demonstrator for Alenia Aeronautica, later part of Leonardo-Finmeccanica after Alenia Aermacchi merged into the new Finmeccanica (rebranded Leonardo since 2017). Its significance lies in proving key MALE UAV technologies, including an automotive-derived heavy fuel engine, autonomous takeoff and landing, collision avoidance, and integrated surveillance sensor data fusion. The aircraft set a European endurance record in the over 1000 kg category on 30 October 2007 with an eight-hour flight. The experience gained from the Sky-Y program directly informed the development of a larger dual-use MALE UAV called the Molynx. The Sky-Y itself carried no armament, being strictly an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform.