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49:
387:
The RU-38A is designed to transit to its operational area with both engines operating. Once in the surveillance area, the rear engine would normally be shut down and the aircraft operated in "quiet surveillance mode". The second engine would be available for use in an emergency and for return to base
245:
In the mid-1990s, the Coast Guard decided that the aircraft would be more useful if their capabilities were improved to include night operations by the addition of more mission sensor equipment. Discussions with
Schweizer Aircraft resulted in a plan to upgrade two RG-8As and to build one new aircraft
451:
The RU-38B is able to achieve quiet operation while loitering by using a propeller speed as low as 1000 rpm. This is possible because the sailplane-derived wing is efficient, and flight at low airspeed can be sustained with low power. Exhaust from the front engine is routed over the wing, reducing
349:
The resulting aircraft bears little resemblance to the original RG-8A. Installation of the twin-boom pods permits the carriage of more sensors. The left-hand pod houses an AN/APN-215(V) color multi-function X-band sea search radar with mapping capabilities. The right-hand pod houses the AN/AAQ-15
447:
The RU-38B has 140 cubic feet (4.0 cu m) of payload space, with a payload weight of 800 lbs (363 kg) available. The payload bays all have large access doors, and are located both in the tailbooms and also behind the pilot and co-pilot seats in the fuselage. The latter space can also
936:
823:
391:
The first Coast Guard RG-8A was returned to
Schweizer for conversion to RU-38A status on 24 January 1994. The initial plan called for the conversion of two RG-8As and then fabrication of one new RU-38A.
827:
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in 1996. As a result, the program was reduced to provide only two RU-38As to the USCG. The loss of the RG-8A delayed the program for many months and it was not completed until May 1997.
384:
The aircraft has no flaps, and instead retains the top and bottom surface divebrakes of its sailplane ancestors. Maximum take-off weight of the RU-38A is 5300 lb (2404 kg)
254:
The RU-38 was intended to fulfill both the low altitude, quiet, over water/hostile terrain reconnaissance role and also the high altitude standoff surveillance role.
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The first flight of the converted aircraft took place on 31 May 1995. The second USCG RG-8A aircraft that was earmarked for RU-38A upgrade crashed near
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accommodate a third crew member, if required. Using pallet-mounted sensor packages, the aircraft can be quickly changed from one mission to another.
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engines, which allowed raising the gross weight to 7200 lbs (3265 kg). The new aircraft carries the military designation of RU-38B.
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engines with a 3:2 gear reduction to 2267 operating rpm. The engines are mounted one in the nose and the other in the rear of the fuselage.
508:
128:
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425:, but they were reportedly grounded during 2000, due to problems with the aircraft meeting mission requirements or serviceability.
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receivers, although the Omega has since been removed with that system's withdrawal from service in 1997. The aircraft also has
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on behalf of the Coast Guard, starting in July 1998. The aircraft flew some 100 test flights during the four-month program.
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service these were designated RG-8A and RG-8B. The RG-8s were employed in border security and surveillance missions.
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two in side-by-side seating or three, with two pilots in side-by-side seating and one sensor operator in the rear
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Not assigned • Designated to hide the true role • Assigned to multiple types
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In converting to the new RU-38A configuration, the conventional RG-8A airframe was greatly modified by:
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417:, Florida for operational employment. The RU-38As were flown in drug interdiction missions over the
202:, a total of five RU-38s were produced between 1995 and 2005. The aircraft remains in production by
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radios for voice and encrypted voice communications, plus direction finding. The crew may also use
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Two RU-38Bs were delivered to the US Department of
Justice, one in 2004 and one in 2005.
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led to two reconnaissance versions of that design, carrying the company model numbers
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Increasing the wingspan from 56.5 ft (17.22m) to 84.13 ft (25.65 m)
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By
September 1999, the two RU-38As had been delivered to the Coast Guard in
322:
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The RU-38B model was still being actively marketed by
Schweizer in 2011.
900:
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RU-38 is the US military designation for the aircraft, indicating
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The company further improved the aircraft by replacing the two
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62 kn (72 mph, 116 km/h) with divebrakes closed
362:
30:
This article is about the aircraft. For other uses, see
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83 kn (96 mph, 155 km/h) (mission speed)
1723:
1990s United States military reconnaissance aircraft
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357:For navigation, the RU-38A originally carried both
466:Neither the RU-38A or RU-38B was certified by the
354:(FLIR) and Low-Light TV enhanced vision systems.
721:
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717:
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285:Pollution patrol & environmental monitoring
298:Removing the single 235 hp (175 kW)
174:is a two or three-seat, fixed gear, low wing,
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8:
402:The first RU-38 was tested by the Air Force
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646:21.5 lb/sq ft (105.1 kg/m)
634:168 kn (194 mph, 312 km/h)
613:168 kn (194 mph, 312 km/h)
257:The design missions for the RU-38A were:
1060:Photo of RU-38A, N61428, serial number 1
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185:. The Schweizer company model number is
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189:and, in its three-seat configuration,
38:
555:84 ft 1.6 in (25.64 m)
218:motor glider for training use at the
7:
958:"Reconnaissance Fixed Wing Aircraft"
561:334.2 sq ft (31.05 m)
307:Teledyne Continental Motors GIO-550A
27:Twin-engined reconnaissance aircraft
1065:Photo of RU-38A configuration model
509:United States Department of Justice
470:. Instead, all aircraft operate as
549:35 ft 1 in (10.7 m)
331:Improved noise signature reduction
321:Changing the single tail fin to a
25:
982:World Aircraft Directory (n.d.).
866:"Reconnaissance Aircraft: RU-38B"
935:Smithsonian Institution (2004).
864:Schweizer Aircraft Corp (2006).
488:
178:covert reconnaissance aircraft.
47:
1748:Twin-engined turboprop aircraft
1743:Twin-engined push-pull aircraft
756:Federal Aviation Administration
468:Federal Aviation Administration
220:United States Air Force Academy
901:"Schweizer RU-38B Twin Condor"
728:"Schweizer RU-38B Twin Condor"
689:"Schweizer RU-38A Twin Condor"
687:Stoll, Alex (September 2001).
312:Enlarging the crew compartment
264:Counter-terrorism surveillance
81:Schweizer Aircraft Corporation
59:Covert reconnaissance aircraft
1:
640:30,000 ft (9,144 m)
588:7,200 lb (3,265 kg)
582:7,200 lb (3,265 kg)
576:4,265 lb (1,934 kg)
543:2935 lb (1331 kg) useful load
315:Improving the engine mufflers
246:to provide a total of three.
1728:Aircraft first flown in 1995
598:Constant Speed, Full Feather
596:Rolls-Royce Allison 250-B17F
439:Rolls-Royce Allison 250-B17F
328:Greatly enlarged sensor bays
1031:Air & Space/Smithsonian
505:- Two RU-38A and one RU-38B
325:configuration with two fins
232:Central Intelligence Agency
206:after acquiring Schweizer.
172:Schweizer RU-38 Twin Condor
1764:
1462:United States tri-service
404:445th Flight Test Squadron
276:Illegal alien surveillance
29:
1698:
726:Pike, John (April 2005).
339:conventional landing gear
191:Schweizer SA 3-38A Condor
187:Schweizer SA 2-38A Condor
46:
41:
1421:William (Bill) Schweizer
1108:Sailplanes & Gliders
1037:, July 2004 issue, p. 13
937:"Directory of Airplanes"
476:Research and Development
352:forward looking infrared
1362:Reconnaissance Aircraft
528:General characteristics
516:Specifications (RU-38B)
279:Intelligence collection
270:Electronic intelligence
214:The development of the
183:Utility, Reconnaissance
32:RU-38 (disambiguation)
1294:Agricultural Aircraft
1035:The Sounds of Silence
472:experimental aircraft
452:the noise footprint.
335:Tricycle landing gear
1673:Related designations
984:"Schweizer SA 2-37A"
920:: CS1 maint: year (
796:on 28 September 2006
379:night vision goggles
1315:Amphibious Aircraft
899:Spy Flight (n.d.).
766:on 10 February 2012
586:Max takeoff weight:
121:Primary users
1738:Twin-boom aircraft
1718:Schweizer aircraft
1101:Schweizer Aircraft
1009:has generic name (
630:Never exceed speed
570:Wortmann Fx 61-163
523:Schweizer Aircraft
503:Schweizer Aircraft
216:Schweizer SGM 2-37
197:Schweizer SGM 2-37
129:US Dept of Justice
42:RU-38 Twin Condor
1733:Low-wing aircraft
1705:
1704:
1429:
1428:
1379:RU-38 Twin Condor
1016:CS1 maint: year (
830:on 15 August 2011
822:FAA (June 2008).
788:FAA (June 2008).
388:at higher speed.
289:Search and Rescue
204:Sikorsky Aircraft
168:
167:
140:RU-38B 2004-2005
18:RU-38 Twin Condor
16:(Redirected from
1755:
1560:
1555:
1550:
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1464:utility aircraft
1456:
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1442:
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1416:Paul A Schweizer
1411:Ernest Schweizer
1094:
1087:
1080:
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1053:Official website
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826:. Archived from
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792:. Archived from
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762:. Archived from
752:
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638:Service ceiling:
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300:Lycoming O-540-B
267:Drug enforcement
261:Border integrity
159:
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138:RU-38A 1995-1997
91:Leslie Schweizer
69:
61:Type of aircraft
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1395:MQ-8 Fire Scout
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305:Installing two
282:Maritime patrol
273:Fishery patrols
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68:National origin
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1657:Non-sequential
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1045:External links
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824:"FAA Registry"
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790:"FAA Registry"
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760:"FAA Registry"
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611:Maximum speed:
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435:piston engines
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419:Gulf of Mexico
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337:replacing the
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158:Developed from
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125:US Coast Guard
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116:In production
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72:United States
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1475:Main sequence
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758:(June 2008).
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962:sikorsky.com
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828:the original
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146:Number built
100:31 May 1995
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1331:Helicopters
1007:|last=
604:Performance
592:Powerplant:
408:Edwards AFB
397:Puerto Rico
250:Development
152:RU-38B - 3
1712:Categories
1322:TSC-1 Teal
651:References
559:Wing area:
478:category.
302:powerplant
210:Background
150:RU-38A - 2
1468:post-1962
967:29 August
553:Wingspan:
541:Capacity:
521:Data from
482:Operators
442:turboprop
437:with two
323:twin-boom
176:twin boom
135:Produced
108:May 1997
87:Designer
999:cite web
916:cite web
421:and the
228:SA 2-37B
224:SA 2-37A
1374:SA 2-37
871:14 July
566:Airfoil
547:Length:
474:in the
236:US Army
113:Status
1601:RU-21J
1404:People
1301:Ag Cat
989:3 June
906:4 June
834:4 June
800:4 June
770:4 June
733:4 June
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429:RU-38B
345:RU-38A
1690:UV-23
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1631:HU-25
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1574:U-17C
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1353:S-434
1150:15-11
942:3 May
535:Crew:
415:Miami
359:OMEGA
230:. In
163:RG-8A
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1664:U-38
1648:U-28
1643:U-27
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1388:UAVs
1369:QT-2
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1270:1-36
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1018:link
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991:2008
969:2015
944:2008
922:link
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594:2 ×
373:and
361:and
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170:The
1529:U-9
1517:U-8
1512:U-7
1507:U-6
1502:U-5
1497:U-4
1492:U-3
1487:U-2
1482:U-1
1348:333
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1338:300
1140:2-8
1135:1-7
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406:at
375:UHF
371:VHF
363:GPS
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