The S4 Ehécatl is an unmanned aerial vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...

 developed and manufactured by Hydra Technologies of Mexico

Hydra Technologies of Mexico

Hydra Technologies is a Mexican firm dedicated to the design and development of unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance operations and aircraft avionics...

 which, except for its infrared thermal sensor system, is the first of its type to be completely designed and manufactured in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.

Named after Ehecatl

Ehecatl

Ehecatl is a pre-Columbian deity associated with the wind, who features in Aztec mythology and the mythologies of other cultures from the central Mexico region of Mesoamerica. He is most usually interpreted as the aspect of the Feathered Serpent deity as a god of wind, and is therefore also known...

, the Aztec god

Aztec religion

Aztec religion is the Mesoamerican religion practiced by the Aztec empire. Like other Mesoamerican religions, it had elements of human sacrifice in connection with a large number of religious festivals which were held according to patterns of the Aztec calendar...

 of the wind, it aims to provide safety for human lives in hazardous zones.

Overview

A prototype of the airplane was presented in the Paris Air Show

Paris Air Show

The Paris Air Show is the world's oldest and largest air show. Established in 1909, it is currently held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France...

 at Le Bourget on June 19, 2007. In August 2007 at Washington D.C., a full-scale model was exhibited at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)

Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, also known as AUVSI, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the technology of unmanned vehicles.- History :...

 symposium, an aeronautics exposition with over 275 exhibitors. At the conclusion of the AUSVI symposium Hydra Technologies became the first non-U.S. recipient of the AUSVI's 'Al Aube Outstanding Contributor Award' for the development of the S4 Ehécatl UAS (Unmanned Aerial System).

In 2008, Hydra Technologies received the Leonardo Da Vinci award, given by the International Aeronautics Congress of Mexico (CIAM for its Spanish abbreviation) for the development of the S4 Ehácatl, as well as the E1 Gavilán.

On August 3, 2008, the State of Jalisco and Coecytjal presented Hydra with an award in the 29th Annual National Convention of the National Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics Industry (CANIETI), for its contribution to the informatics, microelectronics and communications industries in Mexico.

Description

The Ehécatl is an aerial unmanned surveillance system whose development began in 2002. Its principal market is directed towards providing security and surveillance capabilities in support of the Armed Forces, as well as civilian protection in hazardous situations. Because of its small size and unmanned nature, it can enter dangerous zones without being detected.

Apart from a U.S.-made FLIR infrared thermal sensor system, all of the S4 Ehécatl's componentry and avionics

Avionics

Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...

 are designed, developed and manufactured in Mexico by the firm Hydra Technologies. The S4 Ehécatl has an electronic system that is designed to provide up to eight hours of autonomous flight, in either daytime or nighttime conditions. The craft is controlled from a mobile central facility installed in a specially equipped three-man ground vehicle.

The surveillance capabilities of the UAV was suggested as an option to survey of the border problems between the U.S. and Mexico. The project developing the craft is a joint effort of the Mexican Federal Government, the Financial Sector, and Mexican academic and scientific institutions like CONACYT, the National Polytechnic Institute

National Polytechnic Institute

The National Polytechnic Institute colloquially known as the Polytechnic is one of the largest public universities in Mexico with 153.027 students at the high school, undergraduate and postgraduate levels...

 (IPN), the Autonomous University of Guadalajara and the Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education

Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education

The Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education , whose tagline is Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara, is a Jesuit university in the Western Mexican state of Jalisco, located in the municipality of Tlaquepaque – part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area.The university has...

 (ITESO).

Specifications

• The airplane is a UAV
  Unmanned aerial vehicle
  An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
  
  .
• The version for the Ehecatl ready for market as for December 2007 is the S4, having its first flight in 2006.
• The system was designed for military and civilian use, including the Mexican Armed Forces.
• It has a maximum velocity of 90 knots, with a maximum operating ceiling of 4572 metres (15,000 ft) in height.
• It can take-off from higher altitudes than 2438 metres (7,998.7 ft).
• It provides mode techniques for any type of weather or terrain.
• All data is integrated by General Dynamics
  General Dynamics
  General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
  
   Advanced Information Systems.
• The S4 model has a wingspan of 3.7 metres (12.1 ft), and MTOW of 54.43 kilograms (120 lb), including a payload of 9.07 kilograms (20 lb).
• It has a flight autonomy of 8 hours at the cruising speed of 38 knots.

Operators

- The Mexican Secretariat of Public Security (Secretaría de Seguridad Pública, SSP).

External links

• Hydra Technologies de Mexico company website.