California-based drone company UAVOS successfully completed a round of test flights of its new electric UVH-EL drone using the company’s own SURVEYOR-HE unmanned aerial system. According to UAVOS, this electric multipurpose helicopter drone can automatically take off, fly, and land while carrying a 13.2-pound payload for a duration of up to 45 minutes. With UAVOS’ own lithium-ion high-capacity batteries, that flight time is extended to 1.5 hours, however, making this nifty little copter quite enticing for industries in need of transporting materials through harsh weather conditions and high altitudes.
The test flights were conducted in conjunction with the company’s SURVEYOR-HE UAS Complex, which is reportedly comprised of the vehicle and a command module. It’s unclear whether or not two items, one of them being the drone itself, should be labeled as a “system,” but the company certainly feels it should be. The range of the drone is reportedly 93.2 miles, with a maximum altitude of 11,483 feet. Not only that, but this thing can zip across the skies at up to 75 mph. All in all, pretty impressive for a respectably-sized copter drone powered by an electric engine unit.
“The unmanned complex is all-weather, and can perform in flights at temperature difference from -4F to +104F (-20C to +40C). Radius of data transmission in direct radio visibility in the basic configuration is 43.5 miles (70 km),” explained Vadim Tarasov, board member and investor at UAVOS.
“Our complex implements retransmission of data on the command line, which significantly increased the area of safe operation of the complex. The EW countermeasure function makes it possible to carry out research operations in the conditions of jamming or satellite radio navigation signals and the command line channel.” In other words, the UVH-EL UAV can function in temperatures and frequency conditions that most other drones cannot, providing an enticing roster of solutions for various scenarios across industries. As the press release states, this system is intended for surveillance operations, monitoring of the Earth in a wealth of conditions, communications, and anti-drone scenarios. “Created on an already proven, reputable platform, this helicopter has superior characteristics that increase the reliability of the vehicle,” said Tarasov. Have a look at this thing in action, if Tarasov has piqued your curiosity.
According to DroneLife, UAVOS used a gas-powered drone in Kazakhstan last year to monitor and inspect oil refineries using an optoelectronic video system which allows for safe, remote viewing of potentially dangerous items. Regardless of how unnecessary this all-weather helicopter drone may be to the casual, recreational drone enthusiast, there’s certainly a market for this machine. Surveying dangerous objects in cruel weather conditions definitely requires the right technology to do so, and UAVOS seems to be making all the right moves.