Depending upon the terrain and conditions, there are times when a fixed-wing drone is the best tool for the job – and times when a vertical take off and landing (VTOL) drone is the only way to navigate the terrain. Polish drone manufacturers FlyTech UAV have addressed that problem for their customers – introducing detachable extension modules that convert their flagship fixed-wing BIRDIE into a VTOL system.
The modules are an upgrade to the existing BIRDIE, and they can be attached or detached at any time, giving the user total flexibility to use the best tool according to the environment they’re working in.
Radoslaw Zych, FlyTech Sales Manager, tells DRONELIFE that the upgrade solved a problem for professional users. “We developed the upgrade to our fixed-wing system as an answer to our clients’ needs,” says Zych. “The aim was to extend BIRDIE’s capabilities and make it a perfect fit for any terrain and environment – so that it would be able to take off and land in urbanized areas or forests, where usually it is not possible to use the fixed-wing due to the lack of proper space.”
“UAV BIRDIE users were satisfied with its results and data quality as a plane, so we decided to keep it and give them more flexibility of use, by creating the additional VTOL module,” he says. The company plans to launch the BIRDIE in the U.S. through reseller and partner channels.
A FlyTech Press release describes how the system works:
The use of VTOL extension module is recommended when it is not possible to use fixed-wing due to hard surfaces, lack of proper takeoff and landing space. It only takes a few seconds to attach the extension modules between the body and wings of the plane. The dedicated flight controller adjusts the flight mode automatically.
As a result, the plane takes off vertically (fully autonomously), then converts to the horizontal flight, follows the mission pattern and finally – lands vertically wherever you want. What is important, the module is used without the loss of data quality: for both BIRDIE fixed-wing and VTOL you can achieve the accuracy up to 3 cm and the resolution up to 1 cm/px.
The module gives a possibility to use a drone in demanding environment, e.g. in forest, mountains, rocks, etc.
Drone BIRDIE by FlyTech UAV is a complete mapping solution. The set consists of the fixed-wing platform (now with optional VTOL extensions), dedicated flight controller, PPK, full-frame camera and GSM connectivity for unlimited flight range. It is available in classic fixed-wing version and can be upgraded to VTOL at any time after the purchase.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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