Unmanned Helicopter: Swiss Company Unveils Cargo Drone with 65 Kg Payload, 4 Hour Flight Time

ANAVIA joins the drone industry from a manufacturing heritage.  The company was established in 2019 as a subsidiary of the CONNOVA Group, a global developer and manufacturer ofcarbon composite products,  for aerospace and motor racing sector.  The HT-100 unmanned helicopter is ANAVIA’s first product for the drone industry: a vertical take off and landing (VTOL) system big enough to provide a heavy payload (65 kg, or approx. 140 pounds) and a long flight endurance.  ANAVIA says they are targeting the HT-100 to customers in surveying, surveillance, logistics, defense, and more.

The ANAVIA is designed for safety, with multiple redundancies including a backup motor.  The 240 minute flight time and heavy payload capacity put the HT-100 unmanned helicopter in a different category than many delivery drones: but the company points out that the HT-100 is a cost-effective alternative to manned helicopter flights.  “The low flight and maintenance costs and high compatibility with the most common sensor and payload systems for a wide range of uses make the HT-100 an economical alternative to conventional helicopters,” says the announcement.

The HT-100  has been certified by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation.  ANAVIA is offering a full service solution with the aircraft: training, system maintenance, servicing, inspections, repairs and customer service.   As demand for drone delivery solutions as well as long-range surveillance and inspection applications increases, ANAVIA’s unmanned helicopter concept could provide a compelling option for advanced applications currently handled by manned aircraft.

“With the HT-100, ANAVIA is entering the growing UAV market at exactly the right moment,” says the announcement.