UAV Factory Fuels Up First Gas-Powered 333

In what company officials are calling possibly the first of its kind, UAV Factory has obtained a Section 333 exemption from the FAA for its gas-powered Penguin B fixed-wing drone.

According to a company press release, the federal agency granted the petition for the fixed-wing vehicle that is believed to be the first internal-combustion-engine model to garner the exemption.

“This helps pave the way for other Section 333 applicants looking for increased endurance and payload capacity,” said UAV Factory CTO Konstantins Popiks. “Having an internal combustion, as opposed to an electric aircraft approved for a Section 333 exemption now is a great step forward,” he added.

Thanks to its high-octane engine, the Penguin is capable of flights in excess of 20 hours by using what the company calls its “turnkey Electronically Fuel Injected Engine” — giving the drone a maximum useful load of 22 pounds, comprising nearly half of the aircraft’s 50 pound maximum take-off weight.

The company added that the latest exemption paves the way for more applications for the Penguin B platform as well as “its fully-integrated turnkey solution aircraft the Penguin C.”

“We are working with prospective customers to help them draft their Section 333 applications because as the manufacturer we have the required information readily available,” UAV Factory Sales Director Rory Bauer said.

Other features and capabilities of the Penguin B include: catapult, car-top or runway takeoff, as well as short lead times for standard configurations.

As noted in a recent DRONELIFE post, “getting a Section 333 exemption from the FAA is the only legitimate way to make money flying a drone. While the number of exemptions the FAA has granted is increasing, the process is still complex, time consuming, and expensive.”