UAV Testing
A NEW INNOVATIVE CENTER IN
EUROPE FOR RPAS TRIALS
A research center in Spain
aims to become Europe’s
leading center for the
testing of drones
// N. SEOANE, R. GONZÁLEZ,
E. GÓMEZ, B. CALVO, J.M FERNÁNDEZ &
A.F MÉNDEZ
INTA is a public research organization
that depends on the Spanish Ministry of
Defense. It is responsible for performing
scientific research activities and prototypes
in its various fields of expertise, as well as
for providing technological services to
companies in the industry, universities and
other institutions.
INTA (Instituto Nacional de Técnica
Aeroespacial) is the technological center
for the Spanish Ministry of Defense.
Among the main tasks that its researchers
are responsible for, the most noteworthy
include the undertaking of tests to check
and certify materials, components,
equipment, systems and subsystems for use
in aviation. They also provide technical
advice and services to official entities and
organizations, as well as to industrial and
technological based companies.
The organization has 15 facilities located
throughout Spain, divided into
technological campuses, testing centers
and space stations.
The Rozas Airborne Research Center, or
CIAR, as it is known by its Spanish
acronym, is located in Castro de Rei (Lugo,
Galicia, Spain). It is an innovation center
that researches the operation of both
manned and unmanned aircraft, the
integration of aerial platforms for research
and new developments with RPAS
(remotely piloted aircraft system). CIAR
provides the infrastructure and the
facilities required for aircraft development
and for the evaluation of scientific flight
campaigns. Flights are developed in a safe
and efficient way at the center.
CIAR is an initiative of INTA, together
with the regional government of Galicia
Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN), the
Galician Institute for Economic Promotion
(IGAPE), and the Spanish Ministry of
Science, Innovation and Universities,
through FEDER funds of Technology.
CIAR’S RPAS TESTING CAPABILITIES
CIAR covers an area of 313 hectares, with a
runway 1200m long and 45m wide. It is
conveniently located for both unmanned
air vehicles with a MTOW lower than
150kg regulated by national regulations,
and for those with MTOW higher than
150kg regulated by EASA regulations. As
many of these aircraft are still under
development and new specific regulations
for certification are needed, CIAR ensures
safe conditions for these systems. CIAR
enables such aircraft to operate in a
segregated airspace and to track and
control the aircraft. Moreover, CIAR’s
airspace offers excellent conditions to
flight test RPAS, because it is located in a
sparsely populated area.
166 SHOWCASE 2020 \\ AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM
1 // The Rozas Airborne
Research Center (CIAR) is
a national innovation
center in Spain
2 // CIAR’s control Center
supervises the testing of
unmanned aircraft
The use of RPAS has great growth
potential, thanks to the range of possible
applications they can be used for, such as
fire monitoring, aerial images and border
and environmental control,. RPAS have
several advantages over conventional
aircraft in these applications, such as flight
time, fuel consumption and safer access to
dangerous locations. They are a key
element for the technological development
of the aviation sector in the short to
medium term.
CIAR has a number of technical
objectives related to the development of
RPAS. These include: to allow RPAS to fly
in segregated airspace, for scientific
research and the development of new
2
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/AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM