Desert Hawk Mini UAV Goes Operational By Eric Hehs The Desert Hawk, a small unmanned aerial vehicle, could pass as something pulled off the shelf at your local Toys-R-Us. The seven-pound airplane is constructed of a white Styrofoam-like material. Velcro tabs secure the tail to the fuselage. The aircraft launches into the air with a long bungee cord. A top speed of fifty knots, maximum altitude of 500 feet, range of ten kilometers, and endurance of about one hour places this reconnaissance platform at the low end of the spectrum of aircraft developed by the same people who produced the...