Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/24661-cobham-antenna-systems-to-sponsor-imeches-uas-challenge-2015

Cobham Antenna Systems to sponsor IMechE’s UAS Challenge 2015

July 6, 2015

Cobham Antenna Systems is sponsoring the Liverpool University Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) team taking part in IMechE’s UAS Challenge 2015. The company has supplied antennas, cables, connectors and has provided its expertise to the Liverpool Team.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Challenge (UAS Challenge) bridges the gap between academia and industry in developing applied UAS-related activities. It asks teams of undergraduates to undertake a full design and build cycle of a UAS with specific mission objectives before competing in a final ‘fly-off’ and judging.

First test reports, from the Liverpool University team, showed exceptional results with operational range more than doubled when compared with the standard ‘off the shelf’ antennas. This improvement in range was prior to installation of a groundplane for the antenna being mounted on the UAS which is expected to further enhance the useable range. The results clearly demonstrate the importance of the antennas in UAS communications range, which is critical for their safe operation and use.

Nickolay Jelev, part of the Liverpool team, said, "Thank you to the team of engineers at Cobham Antenna Systems, Newmarket, UK who helped us secure the communications antennas for our video and telemetry links. These will provide us with communication links beyond 1 km, while adhering to all UK/EU transmission power and frequency regulations."