Israel's most advanced drone crashes in test flight

[Chris]

Israel's most advanced drone crashes in test flight
By YAAKOV KATZ 01/29/2012 11:29
No injuries in crash of Heron TP near Tel Nof Air Force Base; IAF launches probe into crash of "UAV that can reach Iran.”
Israeli drone [illustrative] By Courtesy: IAF [illustrative]

The Heron TP, Israel's most advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed Sunday morning during a test flight near the Tel Nof Air Force Base in central Israel. No injuries were reported in the incident. The Israel Air Force launched a probe to determine the cause of the crash and was looking into the whether it was caused by human error or was the result of a technical malfunction. The Heron TP is the largest UAV in the IAF. It has a 26 - meter-long wingspan – the size of a Boeing 737 – and can stay airborne for up to 45 hours. It can carry 1,000 kg. in payloads, making it capable of conducting a wide variety of missions. The flight during which the crash occurred was a joint operation of the IAF and the Heron TP's developer, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

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IAF Commander: UAV Crashed due to 'Tearing of a Wing' - Latest News Briefs - Israel National News

IAF Commander: UAV Crashed due to 'Tearing of a Wing'

Air Force Commander Ido Nechushtan said, Sunday evening, that the crash of an unmanned aerial vehicle during the day, near Gedera, was caused by a torn wing. He added, "Beyond that, I suggest waiting for the conclusions of the investigation." The general said that "The UAV belongs to the Air Force and was given to aerospace industry for a test flight. This morning's flight was to develop new technologies."