A drone with a 150-foot wingspan just completed a 72-hour endurance trial near the English town of Farnborough. A solar-electric, fixed-wing drone, the PHASA-35 completed trials earlier this month in a simulated environment designed to model harsh stratospheric conditions. A collaborative effort by BAE Systems, Prismatic and the UK’s Defence Science and Technology … [Read more...] about British Team Completes 72 Hour Drone Flight Test
Solar Drones
FAA Approves Solar Drone Flights Over Hawaiian Island.
Japanese drone company HAPSMobile has soared into a COA2 (Certificate of Authorization) from the FAA to fly HAWK30, a solar-powered unmanned aircraft assembled in April 2019. The drone will provide a stratospheric telecommunications platform system across the stratosphere of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. The project is a collaboration with the Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range … [Read more...] about FAA Approves Solar Drone Flights Over Hawaiian Island.
Flying Cell Phone Towers with Solar Drones? Yes, Really.
High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) drones have a set of commercial applications which differ significantly from those performed by standard quadcopters. Often looking like something out of a science fiction movie, HALE UAVs have grand ambitions - like providing internet coverage to the entire globe, or cell phone coverage in places where it is now unavailable. The impact … [Read more...] about Flying Cell Phone Towers with Solar Drones? Yes, Really.
Naval Research: New Drone Fueled by the Elements
Groundbreaking military research is giving drones their day in the sun – or at least half a day. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is empowering drones to stay aloft more than 12 hours using energy from the sun and wind. Although the research is targeting military applications, the solution is likely to trickle down into commercial sectors in the future. "One of the … [Read more...] about Naval Research: New Drone Fueled by the Elements
Naval Research Drones Shines in Solar Research
Alta Devices has a new place in the sun after garnering a contract from the Naval Research Laboratory for delivering light-weight solar drone technology. Alta’s Hybrid Tiger program will integrate research into a single drone system designed for long range endurance. The program deploys high-efficiency flexible solar cells, a hydrogen fuel cell, and energy-aware guidance … [Read more...] about Naval Research Drones Shines in Solar Research
