Pyka, a manufacturer of electric uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), on Monday partnered with aerospace and defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to introduce a variant of its flagship Pelican Cargo drone for DOD use.

“SNC has extensive experience modifying products from the Silicon Valley technology ecosystem to fit DOD requirements, and they are committed to making cutting-edge technology like Pelican Cargo available to the United States government,” said Michael Norcia, co-founder and CEO of Pyka.

The cargo version of Pelican—which also comes in a crop-spraying configuration, Pelican Spray—is the world’s largest zero-emission cargo aircraft, according to Pyka.

Unveiled in January, the UAS has a massive 400-pound payload and 70 cubic feet of cargo volume, far larger than what is seen on a typical delivery drone. It has a length of about 22 feet and a 38-foot wingspan, with a range of up to 200 miles and cruise speed of 60-70 knots.

“Pyka’s Pelican Cargo is unlike any other UAS solution on the market for contested logistics,” said Michael Bertman, vice president of programs at SNC. “We assessed a number of leading capabilities and concluded that the Pelican Cargo is significantly more capable than any other platform. It is the only all-electric, austere environment cargo aircraft with that kind of range, payload capacity, and cargo volume.”

Pyka and SNC together introduced RumRunner, a modified version of Pelican Cargo that also has a 400-pound payload and 200-mile range but was designed specifically for defense applications.

The UAS has four electric motors powered by triple-redundant batteries, which can be recharged within an hour or swapped out in five minutes. It flies fully autonomously using Pyka’s proprietary Flight Engine, which processes millions of inputs per second from the aircraft’s lidar, downward facing lasers, inertial measurement units, and air data booms. The system uses 3D aerial mapping and dynamic path planning to detect obstacles.

One key feature of the zero-emission design is its super-short takeoff and landing (SSTOL) capability. With a full payload, Pelican Cargo requires just 500 feet of runway to take off. According to Pyka, this enables operations with “an order of magnitude less infrastructure than previously possible.”

In addition, the drone can operate at night using GPS and laser- or radar-based navigation. It can be loaded in just five minutes, Pyka says, using a nose-loading configuration with a sliding cargo tray.

“Creating a more diverse, distributed, and survivable supply chain is expected to be the primary driver in terms of interest from the DOD,” said Bertman. “The zero-fuel component minimizes the need to forward-stage bulk fuel, which significantly reduces the logistics tail normally associated with resupply operations. This presents opportunities to increase the survivability of our service members, reduce risks to the force, and transform the way military operations have historically been conducted.”

Pyka, like many manufacturers of electric or autonomous aircraft, also has a relationship with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force. In February, it delivered the first of three Pelican Cargo aircraft, on lease to AFWERX, to New Braunfels National Airport (KBAZ) in Texas, where Air Force personnel will explore its applications for defense.

Pyka so far has precommitments on over 80 orders and options for Pelican Cargo from three launch customers in North America and Europe, including London-based Skyports Drone Services.

In March, the manufacturer secured a 110,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and production facility in Alameda, California, the site of the historic Alameda Naval Air Station. It will use the facility to design, develop, and manufacture aircraft at scale after it settles into the site later this year.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Pyka, SNC Partner to Offer Massive Cargo Drone to U.S. DOD appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

For the first time, a drone pilot, Major Shane Gentry, has been named the Corps’ Marine Aviator of the Year. Gentry was also named recipient of the Alfred A. Cunningham Award by the Marine Corps Aviation Association.

• READ MORE: Marine Corps XQ-58A UAV Completes Test Flight

Gentry is a member of the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 and has flown the RQ-21, RQ-7 B, and MQ-9A.

“It’s a great honor. It’s humbling—absolutely pioneering for the Marine Corps unmanned community,” Gentry told USNI News.

Gentry said he chose drones after graduation 10 years ago because they were the “most deployed” units. He said since he began, drones have become increasingly important to operations of all kinds.

“We’re not coming to take manned aviation jobs,” he said. “If anything, we’re enhancing lethality of the aviation enterprise. We’re enhancing survivability of the manned aircraft. We’re enhancing their roles and duties in aviation. So we are an enhancing aspect of Marine Corps aviation.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Drone Pilot Named Marine Aviator of the Year appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, manufacturer of the solar-powered, ultralong-range K1000ULE uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), last week won a contract to provide the Navy with its first UAS capable of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL). The contract was agreed through PMA-263, the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Air Systems program office at Patuxent River, Maryland.

KHAero’s K1000ULE is a 100 percent electric, solar-powered, Group 2 UAS. The company claims the aircraft boasts a greater flight endurance than any eVTOL in its category, capable of remaining airborne for 26 hours during a single flight.

The U.S. Marine Corps Small Unit Remote Scouting System will field K1000ULE to enable what KHAero predicts will be simpler, faster, and more cost-effective intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The UAS will also enhance the Navy’s beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations in “denied or contested areas.” Operations are fully autonomous, relying on onboard artificial intelligence and autopilot technology.

“Today we live with the prospect of a new era of defense technology in which autonomy and artificial intelligence will become more important,” said Fatema Hamdani, CEO of KHAero. “The Navy wants to discover what’s possible. And we’re honored to give them the solutions they need.”

KHAero claims K1000ULE has the longest endurance of any fully electric, zero-emissions, autonomous UAS in its size and weight category. Its 26-hour flight time comes from a propulsion system that runs on lithium ion batteries and photovoltaics (or solar power), powering a brushless electric motor and folding propeller. The aircraft’s solar technology is licensed by the U.S. Department of Energy, per the company.

KL1000ULE is about 10 feet long with a 16.5-foot wingspan, capable of taking off at a weight of 42.5 pounds and reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet msl. The aircraft cruises at around 30-40 knots, giving it a 1,000 sm (867 nm) range. It can be equipped with electro-optical, infrared, communications and other payloads. In addition, KHAero says it can accommodate any Department of Defense MOD Payload compliant payload.

KHAero’s focus is largely on data, intelligence, and communication services, created using multidrone coordination systems. It aims to service customers in emergency and disaster relief, data and telecommunications, defense, agriculture, oil and gas, climate change, and wildlife preservation.

The company’s system additionally shares information across platforms to allocate aircraft on demand, based on sensor needs. In the case of the Navy, crews across operations will be able to keep informed on the UAS’ status.

A single Navy operator could operate a swarm of K1000ULE drones, creating a “self-aware constellation,” in KHAero’s words, that autonomously makes decisions and performs terrain and airspace deconfliction.

The system is controlled through a wearable tablet interface, which helps the user select a coverage area and launch the correct number of assets within 15 minutes. Operators can review or change the coverage area or mission objectives, view the position, flight time, and battery power of the aircraft, and track how many drones are in the sky.

Before awarding the contract to KHAero, the Navy made sure to vet the aircraft, requesting that the manufacturer demonstrate a range of capabilities. U.S. and international partners deployed it for the first time in March 2023,  conducting operations over Aqaba, Jordan, as part of the International Maritime Exercise 2023.

Further evaluations were performed at both KHAero and U.S. government test facilities and overseen by the UAS Research and Operations Center at the University of Maryland. Among the capabilities and technologies tested were flight endurance, vertical takeoff and landing without a runway, and operations in daytime, nighttime, and other environmental conditions.

Removing the runway requirement is a key component of KHAero’s offering. The company also aims to reduce the Navy’s UAS operational footprint from 120-150 to less than five people, performing testing on K1000ULE’s maneuverability. Further, KHAero expects these operations to be nearly undetectable, which it tested by having the Navy track the drone’s audio and visual signatures from the ground.

After gauging K1000ULE’s capabilities, the partners performed reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition tests. They evaluated the aircraft’s full motion video capabilities, which can identify and classify targets, among other mission systems packages.

The Navy could use the UAS to scout an unidentified vehicle, track enemy force movements, shadow friendly troops on the move, or perform other ISR tasks. KHAero is among several aircraft and technology manufacturers collaborating with the U.S. military—Archer Aviation, Pivotal, Xwing and many others are working with the Air Force via its innovation arm, AFWERX.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post U.S. Navy Awards Contract for Long-Range, Solar-Powered Stealth Drone appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.’s (GA-ASI) XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) made its maiden flight last week from Gray Butte Field Airport near Palmdale, California, where it completed several tests.

“OBSS is the first aircraft type built and flown using a common core chassis developed by GA-ASI that promotes commonality across multiple vehicle types,” said Michael Atwood, GA-ASI vice president of advanced programs.

The platform is the second generation of AFRL’s XQ-58A Valkyrie initiative, deploying a foundational core architecture, or “genus” approach, on which other aircraft variants, or “species,” may be rapidly replicated.

• READ MORE: Marine Corps XQ-58A UAV Completes Test Flight

“This approach will help save time and money by leveraging standard substructures and subsystems, similar to how the automotive industry builds a product line,” Doug Meador, autonomous collaborative platform capability lead with AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate, said in a statement. “From there, the genus can be built upon for other aircraft—similar to that of a vehicle frame—with the possibility of adding different aircraft kits to the frame, such as an Off-Board Sensing Station or Off-Board Weapon Station, [or OBWS].”

• READ MORE: Air Force, GM Defense Power Aircraft Using Commercial Battery Technology

It’s an approach that opens the door for faster development, lower costs, and more opportunities to refresh technology, according to Trenton White, OBSS program manager and aerospace engineer with AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate.

“XQ-67A is the first ‘species’ to be designed and built from this shared platform,” White said. “Flight demonstration of this system is a major first step toward showing the ability to produce affordable combat mass.”

The post General Atomics XQ-67A UAV Makes First Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The test flight of the autonomous, low-cost tactical UAV took place February 23 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where it was supported by 40th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) engineers.

• READ MORE: How Were Drones Used During WWI and WWII?

“The XQ-58A provides the Marine Corps with a testbed platform for developing technologies and new concepts in support of the Marine Air Ground Task Force, such as autonomous flight and unmanned teaming with crewed aircraft,” the Corps said in a statement.

In October, the Corps said the platform would undergo a total of six test flights to evaluate its ability to support a variety of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions; the effectiveness of autonomous electronic support to crewed platforms, like the Marines’ F-35B Lightning II; as well as the potential for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled platforms to augment combat air patrols. 

• READ MORE: Moving World Report 2024: Breaking Down Challenges, Opportunities in Aviation

“AI testing requires combining new and traditional test and evaluation techniques,” Ryan Bowers, 40th FLTS engineer, said Wednesday. “The team has a lot of lessons learned that will be used to inform future programs.” 

The stealth Valkyrie drone was originally designed under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) project portfolio, which was established to develop unmanned wingman aircraft to escort a crewed fighter in combat. It’s capable of flying long-range flights at high-subsonic speeds, and operating as a wingman, a single UAV or in swarms, according to Kratos.

The post Marine Corps XQ-58A UAV Completes Test Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A Pennsylvania man faces felony federal charges and up to four years in prison after flying a drone over the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium during the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship game between the Ravens and Chiefs on January 28, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. The pilot violated a temporary flight restriction (TFR) that is standard for all league regular season and playoff games.

“Illegally operating drones poses a significant security risk that will lead to federal charges,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Temporary flight restrictions are always in place during large sporting events.”

The incursion, which briefly stopped play, was the latest in a string of incidents involving drones over American professional sports stadiums. In fact, M&T Bank Stadium encountered a similar situation in October that prompted an FAA investigation. Stadium officials also reportedly intercepted five drones during a November contest between the Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

In the wake of the disruptions, the FAA last week designated Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas—the venue for Super Bowl LVIII—as a “no drone zone” on the day of the big game, as well as during the week leading up to it.

The Incident

According to federal prosecutors, Matthew Hebert, 44, flew a DJI drone from about one mile outside M&T Bank Stadium into the venue during the first quarter of the AFC Championship matchup. 

The small, buzzing aircraft was “deemed a serious enough threat” to halt play, prompting an “administrative timeout.” That procedure became standard following a 2022 incident at the Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium (now Paycor Stadium). Now, NFL Security pauses games and clears the field whenever a rogue drone is detected.

The FAA had placed a TFR around M&T Bank Stadium, prohibiting drone flights within 3 nm of the venue, including one hour before and after gameplay. The protocol is standard for all regular and postseason NFL, MLB, NASCAR, and NCAA Division I contests.

Maryland State Police tracked the drone to its landing site, where they deployed troopers and found Hebert. The pilot told authorities he had purchased the drone—which was unregistered—in 2021. Hebert also did not possess a remote pilot certificate, which is required by the FAA to operate most drones under 55 pounds (with exceptions for recreational flyers).

Hebert used his DJI account, which is supposed to inform users of TFRs, to operate the drone. As he had done on previous occasions, he relied exclusively on the account to tell him where flights were permitted. The application noted no restrictions, so Hebert assumed it was safe to fly.

Allegedly, Hebert flew the drone above 320 feet for about two minutes, taking six photos of himself and the stadium and possibly a video. The penalties for knowingly operating an unregistered drone and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate—the charges Hebert faces—total three years in federal prison. The pilot also faces a maximum of one year for willful violation of U.S. National Defense Airspace.

The Maryland Attorney’s Office noted, however, that actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum.

“Operating a drone requires users to act responsibly and educate themselves on when and how to use them safely,” said R. Joseph Rothrock, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI would like to remind the public of the potential dangers of operating a drone in violation of federal laws and regulations.  The reckless operation of a UAS in the vicinity of a large crowd can be dangerous to the public, as well as interfere with other law enforcement and security operations.”

A federal district court judge will determine Hebert’s sentence. His initial appearance and arraignment will be scheduled this month.

Sounding the Alarm

The rising number of drone incursions has worried players, coaches, league officials, aviators, and even members of Congress. Only a handful of these have occurred during actual gameplay, and none have resulted in injury, despite a few close calls. But the aircraft in the past have dropped items such as leaflets into stadiums, raising alarm bells about what else they could deploy.

“We’re concerned about somebody who would use [drones] in a nefarious way and drop a grenade that would do considerable damage and possibly kill individuals,” Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, told NBC News in October.

Cathay Lanier, NFL chief of security and the former chief of police for Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2016, said drone incursions over NFL stadiums nearly doubled between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, from about 1,300 to 2,500.

One incident even took place at a previous Super Bowl. During the winner-take-all game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams in 2019, an FBI team spotted a drone moments before a fleet of Air Force F-16s were set to perform a flyover of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. In the nick of time, the agency managed to tell the pilots to fly at a higher altitude. Had it not, the results could have been catastrophic.

According to counter-drone firm Dedrone, major sporting events in 2023 saw 4,000 illegal drone violations across 60 stadiums, a 20 percent increase year over year. Las Vegas, where the Chiefs and 49ers will square off on Sunday, uses the company’s DedroneCityWide, which covers critical areas of the city such as stadiums, airports, and the Las Vegas Strip. The city began using the software in the wake of the 2017 Mandalay Bay mass shooting.

“We realized that we had to analyze all potential threat vectors to our city, including drones,” said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. “Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, our collaboration with external security and public safety groups, both public and private, is essential to providing a safe environment to attendees, players, staff, and the citizens of Clark County.”

However, counter-drone measures in the past have proven ineffective against rogue aircraft. Following 9/11, the FAA created a TFR for stadiums and other large venues prohibiting drones that fly at or below 3,000 feet agl within 3 nm of any stadium that seats 30,000 or more.

But by and large, stadiums lack the infrastructure to enforce these rules. Only a handful of venues—including M&T Bank Stadium—have any form of aerial security. Yet the Ravens’ home field has seen at least three drone incursions in the past five months.

When a drone does enter the airspace, stadiums have little recourse. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are the only U.S. agencies authorized to bring down rogue drones. But out of about 121,000 requests for FBI and DHS counter-drone support to stadiums since 2018, only 77 have been approved, according to Lanier.

“[Drones] enter that restricted airspace, they are violating the law,” Lanier said in an interview with NBC News. “All we’re asking for is the ability to take control of that drone and move it out of our airspace.”

Ben Wenger, chief revenue officer of Dedrone, added: “The federal government clearly understands the threat posed by drones, or the FAA wouldn’t have put these TFRs in place ahead of the game. Although not every drone flight we recorded was nefarious in origin, some of them were—and those are the kinds of flights that can stop games or ruin concerts and other events being held at stadiums.”

To address the issue, Peters and Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) introduced Senate legislation that would extend drone takedown authority to state and local law enforcement. The proposal has received bipartisan support and endorsements from the NFL, NCAA, MLB, and NASCAR. But unless it becomes law, stadium officials will remain stuck with little recourse.

“Without a change in federal law, mass gatherings will remain at risk from malicious and unauthorized drone operations,” the NFL said in a statement to FLYING. “For more than a year, we have been calling for passage of the bipartisan Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, which would empower state and local law enforcement to safely mitigate drones like the two that disrupted the game in Baltimore. It’s time for Congress to act.”

Supervising the Super Bowl

Given the growing number of incursions, the FAA felt the need to emphasize the TFR in place before and during Super Bowl LVIII.

At 11:00 a.m. PST on Sunday, drones will be prohibited from flying within 2 nm of Allegiant Stadium up to 2,000 feet agl. Between 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., the restrictions will expand to a 30 nm radius and 18,000 feet in agl. At various times between Monday and Friday, drone flight will also be restricted within 1 nm of Allegiant, the Resorts World area, and Wynn Casino.

The “inner ring” within 10 nm of the stadium will be accessible only to approved law enforcement or military aircraft, as well as certain regularly scheduled commercial passenger and cargo carriers. Other operations, such as flight training, survey operations, and ultralight flight, are unauthorized for the entire TFR.

Drone pilots—just like traditional ones—who enter the Super Bowl TFR without permission could face criminal prosecution or fines in excess of $30k, or their drone may be confiscated. Additional details on the TFR can be found here. The FAA has also released guidance for non-drone pilots, including GA pilots specifically.

“We continue to see considerable efforts made to crack down on illegal drone incursions at big events, and the arrest of the drone pilot following the AFC Championship game is a good example of how serious law enforcement takes these incidents,” said Mary-Lou Smulders, chief marketing officer and head of government affairs at Dedrone. “It is safe to say that counter-drone measures will be a significant part of security efforts both at the Super Bowl and the surrounding events taking place all week long.”

The trend of drone incursions could continue beyond Super Bowl LVIII, however. According to the FAA, there were 860,000 registered drones in the U.S. in 2022—a number the regulator predicted could surpass 2.6 million by 2025. Pilots, meanwhile, are reporting more unauthorized drone sightings than ever before.

Officials are also wary of rogue drones at airports, which occasionally have led to mass flight delays or cancellations. Increasingly, the aircraft have been reported to smuggle contraband or weapons into prisons or across the U.S. southern border.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Could One Pilot’s Mistake Deter Rogue Drones at the Super Bowl? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The company on Wednesday unveiled a new larger drone, which it said will be added to its fleet to “simplify and streamline” bigger orders. Wing will work with partners and regulatory stakeholders to introduce the unnamed model—which boasts double the payload of its predecessor—to service areas worldwide in the next 12 months.

The news follows Wing’s recent Dallas-Fort Worth expansion with Walmart, which the retailer claims to be the largest drone delivery expansion of any U.S. company. Wing began flying in DFW in 2022, partnering with Walmart in August to add service out of two regional Supercenters. Combined, the stores serve 60,000 homes.

The company also picked up new permissions from the FAA in December, allowing it to fly drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator, without human observers on the ground. Only a handful of drone delivery providers have that approval, which can improve range and reduce costs by cutting down on human capital.

According to internal company data, 70 percent of Wing’s U.S. orders are delivered by a single aircraft. That means the remaining 30 percent, however, require two or more drones. The company’s revamped design is intended to address that issue.

“Think of it like how airlines operate different aircraft for different routes: This new aircraft will streamline our deliveries of larger orders,” said Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing. “For example, you could order last-minute ingredients for dinner—pasta, marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, canned olives, and garlic.”

Wing’s larger design was borne out of its Aircraft Library approach, wherein engineers develop a variety of aircraft configurations that build on the core components of its flight-proven aircraft. This allows the firm to quickly adapt its design to meet needs identified in the market—such as a bigger drone.

The latest design shares much of its hardware and architecture with the drones comprising Wing’s fleet. These can carry up to 2.5 pounds on 12 sm (10 nm) flights, cruising at 65 mph (56 knots). The new drone maintains that range and speed but doubles the payload to 5 pounds, using the same standardized cardboard delivery box. It also keeps a hybrid aircraft configuration, which combines vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and precision hovering capability with fixed wings for cruise flight.

The updated model is also designed to work with the infrastructure and automation supporting the company’s current fleet, which comprise the Wing Delivery Network. Announced last year, the system aims to streamline deliveries by intelligently calculating routes, allocating drones based on demand, and flying fluidly between Wing hubs. 

It also introduces new technologies to simplify operations on the customer side, such as the Autoloader. In lieu of loading the aircraft themselves, store associates can simply leave packages to be picked up. Essentially, it’s curbside delivery for drones.

Crucially, Wing’s new drone won’t replace other aircraft within its fleet. Part of the Wing Delivery Network philosophy is using multiple aircraft for different mission profiles.

“It’s always been our vision to implement a multimodal drone delivery model, in the same way that ground delivery uses different vehicle sizes for different orders,” said Woodworth. “We’re committed to making that vision a reality so more shoppers can experience the convenience of drone delivery. With the new aircraft carrying more food, medicine, and household essentials, customers in urban and suburban areas will be able to bundle their orders better—and receive them in one quick trip.”

The introduction of a larger aircraft could add to Wing’s momentum. Outside of Zipline, which focuses primarily on medical deliveries (and is also partnered with Walmart), it boasts more deliveries than any other firm. By cutting back on the number of inefficient two-drone deliveries, that figure could rise even faster.

And while the new model has the same range as Wing’s other aircraft, the company’s entire fleet may soon fly farther. Before receiving FAA approval to remove visual observers, the firm was limited to 6 sm (5 nm) trips, which needed to be monitored continuously by human eyes. Now, computers can do the tracking, which should enable longer routes.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Google’s Wing Introduces New Delivery Drone with Double the Payload appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The French OEM on Monday announced its intent to acquire Aerovel, manufacturer of the Flexrotor tactical drone, through its subsidiary Airbus Helicopters. The drone—designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR)—is expected to join Airbus’ UAS roster by the end of the year, the manufacturer said, pending regulatory approval.

Flexrotor is a Group 2 small tactical UAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability, built for ISTAR operations for the U.S. and its allies over land or sea, day or night. It will join Airbus’ fleet of high endurance uncrewed aircraft, such as the self-flying VSR700 helicopter or Eurodrone. Aerovel will remain an American-owned company and work with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) under Airbus’ Special Security Agreement.

The planned transaction follows the addition of a dedicated business line for military UAS by Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, which aims to deploy the aircraft for the DOD. The expansion was announced in November.

“This strategic acquisition aligns with our vision to expand our UAS offering and respond to a growing customer demand worldwide for additional mission capabilities such as manned-unmanned teaming,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Aerovel’s expertise in autonomous flight technology will undoubtedly complement our UAS development with the VSR700, as well as the work that we have been doing to develop interoperability.”

According to Aerovel, Flexrotor combines compact size, heavy payload capacity, long range, and autonomy. It’s designed to meet the rigor of DOD specifications, capable of protecting military bases through threat detection and real-time imagery, for example. But it’s also meant to be cost-effective for commercial markets, which could deploy it for security or law enforcement applications.

Flexrotor is powered by a 28 cubic centimeter, two-stroke engine. The high-endurance drone can fly autonomously for more than 30 hours or up to 1,100 nm, reaching a top level speed of 77 knots. At its max launch weight of 55 pounds, it can cruise in fixed-wing mode at 21,000 feet agl. And crucially, its ability to take off and land vertically means it requires only a 12-by-12-foot space for launch and recovery.

The UAS uses a steerable, zoomable imaging turret with cameras to perform searches and collect video for real time or later viewing. In addition, Flexrotor is payload agnostic, allowing users to swap out certain sensors or other components. It can also communicate with receivers nearly 75 miles away and be assembled or stored in minutes, making it a flexible option for customers.

Though it’s designed for ISTAR missions and is backed by the DOD, Flexrotor is malleable enough to take on semi-public missions, such as tracking forest fires or guiding ships through ice in the Arctic Ocean.

“Joining forces with Airbus will allow us to scale innovation, accelerate our mission to advance unmanned aviation, and maintain our unwavering support for the U.S. military and its allies,” said Ali Dian, CEO of Aerovel. “We are proud to become part of an organization with a rich legacy of aerospace excellence and we look forward to leveraging our combined strengths to define the future of autonomous systems.”

Aerovel’s versatile UAS will join Airbus’ existing portfolio of uncrewed products, which is steadily growing.

SIRTAP, the company’s high-end tactical UAS for civil and military use cases, was recently picked by the Spanish Ministry of Defense to bolster the country’s armed forces. It ordered a total of nine systems and two simulators, with a prototype maiden flight planned for 2025.

Airbus also develops Eurodrone, which it bills as the first UAS built to fly in nonsegregated airspace. Eurodrone—a joint project between the governments of Germany, France, Spain, and Italy under the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR)—will carry out defense missions in civil airspace. Dassault Aviation and Leonardo are also involved in development.

Both SIRTAP and Eurodrone will be part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, which is a multinational collaboration to replace existing combat systems (including Airbus’ Eurofighter) with new technology by 2040. FCAS will be built around next-generation fighter jets, which will communicate with uncrewed remote carriers using a data platform called the Combat Cloud.

Airbus is co-leading the entire program, spearheading vehicle development for the remote carriers and data platform. The company will use its A400M mothership and A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to deploy up to 50 remote carriers at once, helping them communicate with crewed aircraft using Combat Cloud. It’s also developing Manned-Unmanned Teaming software, which is designed to coordinate crewed and uncrewed platforms.

Beyond its FCAS projects, Airbus produces the VSR700 and Zephyr, a fixed-wing, uncrewed high-altitude platform station (HAPS). Zephyr can fly in the stratosphere for months at a time. In 2022, it surpassed all known endurance records for a UAS of its class during a 64-day, 30,000 nm flight.

In addition, Airbus produces a few small tactical UAS: the Aliaca for coastal surveillance, the DVF 2000ER for heavy endurance, and the CAPA-X for all kinds of military missions. It also builds target drones and simulators for military training and offers DeckFinder, a software that guides drones to safe landings.

Beyond UAS, Airbus is exploring other emerging forms of aviation. On Tuesday, for example, the company announced it successfully powered up ZEROe—a hydrogen propulsion system for its electric concept aircraft—in full for the first time. Earlier in the month, it finalized a joint venture to design, build, and operate the Starlab commercial space station.

At the same time, the manufacturer continues to set the bar for traditional aviation. Last week, it revealed it secured a company record 2,094 aircraft orders in 2023, topping rival Boeing in that metric for the fifth consecutive year.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Airbus Helicopters Looks to Expand UAS Portfolio with Acquisition appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Walmart—which uses drones from partners such as Zipline and Wing to deliver within minutes to customers nationwide—on Tuesday said it would add 1.8 million households to its Dallas-Fort Worth service area, which will soon cover three-quarters of the area’s population. According to the retailer, no U.S. company has offered drone delivery to as many households in a single market.

The expansion adds stores in 30 towns and municipalities to Walmart’s existing Dallas-Fort Worth service, which itself is part of a network spanning nearly 40 hubs in seven states. 

Zipline and Wing, both of which were recently approved by the FAA to fly their drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of a visual observer, will power the deliveries. The companies’ new permissions—part of an FAA push to grow the industry within the U.S.—will allow them to fly further than previously permitted.

“Customers will have access to a broad assortment of items from Walmart available for delivery to their home in just minutes,” said Prathibha Rajashekhar, senior vice president of innovation and automation for Walmart U.S. “Drone delivery is not just a concept of the future, it’s happening now and will soon be a reality for millions of additional Texans.”

Walmart said Dallas-Fort Worth customers can expect the buzzing aircraft to arrive in as little as 10 minutes but no more than 30. Across two years of trials, the retailer has completed more than 20,000 deliveries of items such as snacks, beverages, and cold medicines, including fragile cargo such as eggs. Thousands of items are eligible for drone delivery, but customers must be within 10 miles of a store offering the service.

With the expansion, Dallas-Fort Worth is shaping up to be Walmart’s largest U.S. drone delivery market initially. But the retailer has an additional 4,700 stores located within 10 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, adding plenty of room for scale when the time comes.

Zipline, which has worked with Walmart since 2021, is actually the world’s largest drone delivery provider by sheer volume. The company has flown more than 60 million commercial miles, completing 880,000 deliveries in the process. Wing, which ranks second on the list, has made about 350,000 deliveries, according to its website.

Tuesday’s announcement added more food and convenience delivery to Zipline’s profile, which largely comprises medical shipments of blood, vaccines, and other critical cargo. The company said the expansion will allow it to serve 1,000 times as many Walmart customers. For the past two years, it’s delivered from a store in Arkansas, where it says customers now perceive operations as “totally normal.”

By the time Zipline and Walmart begin an operational pilot later this year, the company expects to have completed tens of thousands of trials with Platform 2 (P2), its next-generation delivery system. 

Among other things, P2 will introduce a modified drone, docking, charging, and delivery infrastructure for businesses, and an autonomous droid capable of guiding packages to spaces as small as a patio table. It aims to automate more tasks for customers and enable more precise drop-offs than the company’s existing system, which uses a parachute.

P2 is expected to roll out across the U.S. this year—including in Dallas-Fort Worth following pilot flights with Walmart.

“Autonomous delivery is finally ready for national scale in the U.S.” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, co-founder and CEO of Zipline. “Zipline is excited to enable Walmart’s vision of providing customer delivery so fast it feels like teleportation…We’re excited for folks across Dallas-Fort Worth to experience delivery that is seven times as fast, zero emissions, and whisper quiet.”

Like Zipline, Wing, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet, has spent the past few years developing its U.S. network with Walmart.

The company has four years of commercial residential service under its belt, including more than a year and a half in DFW. Those operations recently ramped up with deliveries out of two Walmart Supercenters in the suburbs of Frisco and Lewisville, reaching a combined 60,000 households. Wing expects its next expansion to be completed within the year and add “millions” of customers.

In four months of service in Dallas-Fort Worth with Walmart, customers have been clamoring for more, with the top 25 percent of customers ordering twice per week on average, Wing said. Sustainability is a proposition to customers, but so is speed—the company’s drones typically spend just five minutes in the air during a delivery.

Now, range could become a selling point. With its recent FAA approval, Wing can expand its delivery zone beyond the previously enforced 6-mile radius. That means each of its delivery sites will be able to reach more customers.

“Our first few months delivering to Walmart customers have made it clear: Demand for drone delivery is real,” said Wing CEO Adam Woodworth. “The response has been incredible from customers ordering drone delivery from Walmart every day, and it’s a testament to our partnership that we’re now expanding our footprint to bring this innovative delivery option to millions of Texans. If this milestone is any indication, we believe 2024 is the year of drone delivery.”

Zipline and Wing were among the first U.S. firms to receive FAA Part 135 air carrier approval, which allows them to fly drones commercially. Only five companies in the space have those permissions, with the others being Amazon Prime Air, UPS Flight Forward, and Causey Aviation Unmanned, the partner of another Walmart collaborator, Israeli manufacturer Flytrex.

Drone delivery has not quite reached the mass adoption phase. But with Walmart’s massive expansion, that point is beginning to enter focus.

The key to scale will be the finalization of drone delivery regulations, which are still being developed. The FAA, for example, has proposed final rules for BVLOS operations and is coordinating with industry stakeholders to get it on the books. Until that happens, companies will need to rely on waivers like Zipline or Wing’s to start flying.

Those early operations—Walmart’s among them—will help the FAA learn what restrictions may need to be added, removed, or modified. In the meantime, less established competitors will continue to languish under heavy limitations. But the hope is that Walmart, Zipline, and Wing can give the FAA the confidence to open things up for the rest of the industry.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Walmart Adding 1.8 Million Households to Dallas-Fort Worth Drone Delivery Service appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

At the Monaco Hydrogen Forum on Monday, Israeli manufacturer HevenDrones unveiled two new hydrogen-powered drones designed for everything from defense to last-mile delivery. The company introduced the H2D200 series, which comprises two models: the H2D200 and H2D250.

Hydrogen fuel cells offer a greater range than lithium-ion batteries—which are present in many commercial drones—due to their light weight and high energy density. They also do not need to be frequently replaced, which keeps the small, buzzing aircraft in the sky longer and can lower long-term costs.

“We are at a pivotal moment in the drone industry,” said Bentzion Levinson, CEO of HevenDrones. “The H2D200 series represents not only a leap forward in drone technology but also a testament to our commitment to building a smarter ecosystem in the skies using the full power and potential of AI. With these hydrogen-powered drones, we are redefining the possibilities of what drones can achieve, while leveraging a clean and readily available fuel source.”

The smaller of the two new models, the H2D200, is built to carry payloads up to 10 pounds. HevenDrones says the drone’s range of about 275 nm and flight time of up to four hours set a “new standard for smaller payload drones.” It cruises on fixed wings at around 63 mph (55 knots) but is also capable of precision hovering.

The larger H2D250 offers the same cruise speed and hover capability, but it can carry up to 22 pounds. Its 466 sm (405 nm) range and operational time of up to eight hours make it ideal for “advanced logistics missions,” the company said—specifically those requiring multiple deliveries.

Both designs build on Heven’s hybrid-electric H100, which the company said now boasts superior lift capabilities. But they instead rely on hydrogen fuel cell technology developed in partnership with Plug Power. The two firms began collaborating in 2021, with plans to develop a hydrogen ecosystem comprising supply, infrastructure, fueling, and refueling for drone operations. 

The technology incorporates Plug Power’s ProGen-based hydrogen fuel cell stack, which was designed for long-range, heavy-lift drone applications.

Monday’s announcement follows Heven’s February release of the H2D55, its inaugural hydrogen-powered drone. The design has a flight time of 100 minutes and payload capacity of about 15 pounds. While less powerful than the new arrivals, the H2D55 delivers five times greater energy efficiency compared to battery-powered drones, Heven said.

All three hydrogen-powered models are designed to be “actionable,” meaning each can serve a variety of commercial and defense use cases. Last-mile delivery, construction, agriculture, real estate, emergency response, surveillance, and military resupply are just a few of those applications. The same H2D drone could be customized for a farmer to spray crops or a government to deliver medical aid to soldiers, for example.

Per the announcement of the H2D55, it and the new H2D200 drones are the only hydrogen-powered models Heven plans to release in 2023. But as the FAA and other aviation regulators steadily expand drone flight permissions, longer-range designs—such as those powered by hydrogen—will likely be in demand.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post HevenDrones Unveils 2 Hydrogen-Powered Drones appeared first on FLYING Magazine.