Overview of TAMU-CC Unmanned Aircraft Systems Coastal Research in the Port Mansfield Area, June 2015

In June, 2015, the TAMU-CC Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program, with the support of the Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation, conducted a week-long UAS exercise in the coastal region near Port Mansfield, Texas. The platform used was TAMU-CC's RS-16, a variant of the Arcturus T-16XL, that was equipped with a three-camera imaging system which acquired high-resolution images in the optical range of the electromagnetic spectrum and lower resolution images in the infrared and ultraviolet ranges of the spectrum. The RS-16 has a wingspan of 12.9 ft, a typical take-off weight of 70 lbs, and a typical cruising speed of 60 kt. A total of 9 flights were conducted over 7 days, with a total of 22.9 flight hours. Different areas of interest were mapped for different researchers investigating specific coastal phenomena. This poster will describe the overall operational aspects of the exercise. The aircraft and imaging system will be described in detail, as will the operational procedures and subsequent data reduction procedures. The process of selection of the coastal regions for investigation and the flight planning involved in mapping those regions will be discussed. A summary of the resulting image data will be presented.