After over a year of careful research and development, a New Zealand resident has achieved a long sought after goal. On Saturday, September 10th, Tim Vincent flew an RPFlightSystems, Inc. Vigilant C1 aircraft for a total of 425 kilometers on a single battery pack. Continue reading
Category Archives: Aircraft Propulsion & Energy
Sentera’s AgVault Mobile App 2.0 Battery Swap Feature
Sentera has announced their latest update to the AgVault 2.0 Mobile iOS app, featuring a battery-swap capability that enables operators to plan a flight of any size, that seamlessly accommodates any number of batter swap-outs. The feature monitors battery life, notes the exact coordinates where it left off, and returns to the operator when a new battery is required. Once a replacement battery is installed, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) automatically resumes flight and data capture exactly where it left off.
Ultrathin Air-Stable Perovskite Solar Cells for Powering Unmanned Aircraft
Plastic foil substrates and chromium oxide interlayers are used in a novel technology that combines high efficiency, low weight, and extreme flexibility in a single platform.
UK Orders Third Zephyr
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced it has ordered a third, record-breaking, Zephyr-S Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), as part of a £13-million contract with Airbus Defence and Space (ADS).
Volz DA 15-T Throttle Servo Selected for Orbital/Insitu N20 ScanEagle Engine
Volz Servos GmbH & Co. KG was selected by Orbital to supply our DA 15-T throttle servo for the new Orbital/Insitu N20 engine for ScanEagle. The Volz DA 15-T throttle servo utilizes a brushless motor and contactless position sensor for demanding “on-engine” throttle actuator installations.
Facebook’s Solar-Powered Aquila Completes First Flight
Connectivity Lab announced the first full-scale test flight of Aquila, facebook’s high-altitude unmanned aircraft. Aquila is a solar-powered airplane that can be used to bring affordable internet to hundreds of millions of people in the hardest-to-reach places. Continue reading
Russia Tested Hydrogen-Powered UAV in Syria
During the operation in Syria, the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VKO) has tested hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft, the RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing a top-ranking representative of the military-industrial complex. According to him, air drones equipped with hydrogen engines showed very good results during the test flights.
3W-Powered UAV for Flights in Antarctica
At the end of February 2016, mechatronics lead Kevin Bass of Intuitive Machines and contracted pilot Mike Laible set off on a planned excursion to Antarctica. In cooperation with the UTIG (University of Texas Institute for Geophysics) and ICECAP (Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate) Intuitive Machines successfully flew multiple runs with a 3W-powered unmanned aerial vehicle platform, Tiburon Jr., on the coast of Antarctica.