The Black Swift S2 is a UAS purpose-built for flying scientific payloads in demanding atmospheric environments (high-altitude, corrosive particulates, and strong turbulence). The Black Swift S2 offers the additional benefits of having a larger payload capacity than other vehicles while also providing longer endurance, higher ceiling, and greater range than competitive unmanned aircraft. This rugged airframe is capable of autonomous launch, flight, and landing in difficult mountainous regions.
S2 Specifications
Mission Capabilities
Ingress Protection (IP) IP42
Payload Weight vs Launch 2.3 kg (5 lb)
Flight Ceiling 6000 m (20,000 ft)
Max. Winds Endured 15 m/s (30 kts)
Flight Characteristic (6,000 ft density alt)
Flight Speed 12 m/s (24 kts) stall, 18 m/s (35 kts) cruise
Flight Time 110 min max, 90 min nominal
Range 110 km (60 nm) max, 92 km (50 nm) nominal
Vehicle Characteristic
Weight 9.5 kg (20.8 lbs) max gross takeoff weight
Wingspan 3.0 m (10.0 ft)
Payload Capacities
Nose Cone Dimensions 20.3 cm (8 in) diameter; 63.2 cm (24.9 in ) length
Power available for payload 50 W total
Payload weight 2.3 kg (5 lbs)
Geotagging Position Accuracy Typically <4m in all directions
Telemetry Data Rate Serial Stream, 9500 bps
“The S2 has very good flight characteristics. It gives us the ability to fly at slower speeds which allow us to fly the airplane in much more confined spaces.”
— Licensed S2 sUAS Pilot
Modular Field-Swappable Payload System
Indicative of its science-based missions and flight heritage, the Black Swift S2 features the field-swappable payload system designed to:
- Ensure clean and uncontaminated measurements of the atmosphere by completely enclosing the sensor suite and associated hardware within the nose cone, and
- Enable rapid changes of the payload in the field using a common power, data, and mechanical interface without any specialized tools. This allows for different sensors suites to be rapidly deployed in successive missions using the same airframe and FMS, extending the utility of the BlackSwift S2 to numerous applications and missions outside that of volcanic plume detection.
“NASA and similar scientific agencies require deliverables with a high degree of accuracy and reliability. The Black Swift S2 is designed to collect data in harsh environments and enhances the performance and utility of NASA’s Airborne Science fleet.”
Jack Elston, PhD
CEO, Black Swift Technologies
When Time is of the Essence
Leveraging BST’s proprietary Flight Planning User Interface, scientists can program the Black Swift S2 in minutes to calculate the area under review and then begin collecting data for immediate analysis and decision making. With its intuitive tab-driven interface, flight planning is simple and easy to accomplish. Mission monitoring and mapping is all done from a handheld Android™ Tablet loaded with BST’s SwiftTab™ software. Gesture-based controls enable users to confidently deploy their Black Swift S2 with minimal training while being able to collect data over geography that is topically diverse with confidence.
The SwiftCore FMS enables advanced control systems. These “smart” control systems provide industry leading sensor-based control of the UAS that minimizes operator workload while improving the quality of the observed data by autonomously modifying the flight path based on sensor inputs.
