unveils a new version of the Outlaw – the Extended Range (ER) incorporates a new fuselage providing addition payload and fuel volume.
ER offers 8-10 hours of endurance and payloads up to 30 lbs. ER maximizes the use of the proven Outlaw systems which after 8 years and over 50,000 flights have maintained a loss rate of less than 1%. Griffon has manufactured over 2,800 unmanned aircraft under contract to the US Army and Navy. Griffon currently produces 40 air vehicles a month making them one of the highest volume manufacturers in the United States.
Griffon CEO Larry French said “Several years ago we created a boom tail version of our standard Outlaw. This version of the Outlaw became known as ‘Boomer’ and is currently being used by the Army for test purposes. Customer demand for increased payload weight and endurance drove the development of ER.”
The most striking difference in Outlaw ER is the new fuselage shape and move to a high wing configuration. Although the aircraft looks dramatically different from Outlaw Boomer, ER uses the same avionics, engine, wing, and tail systems from our proven and reliable Outlaw,” said French.
Last year Griffon introduced the BroadSword XL, a 600+ lb. gross weight version of the BroadSword MQM-171 developed for the US Army 7 years ago. BroadSword XL adds payload, fuel capacity, more wing area, flaps, wing structure for pylons, and landing gear.
French concluded that “One of our strategic goals is for Griffon to offer reasonably priced UAS solutions up to the 600 pound gross weight class priced far less than anything in the weight class.” Griffon’s “Boomer” or ER can be equipped with an array of payloads and sensors including gimbaled camera systems for airborne surveillance. The company is pursuing opportunities requiring affordable UAS for both military and emerging commercial applications.
Source: Press Release