Page 35 - World Airnews Magazine March 2021

DRONES DEFENCE

CARGO DRONE WITH 65KG THE F-15EX GOES

PAYLOAD VERTICAL

made for Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Those are the F-15QA (Qatar
oeing has flown the US Air Advanced) and F-15SA (Saudi Ad-

BForce F-15EX fi ghter for the vanced). It comes with a number of

first time. The first example of the upgrades not featured on the USAF

new combat aircraft went vertical ageing F-15C/D fleet.

in a ‘Viking’ departure manoeuvre “The fighter’s digital backbone

shortly after it lifted off from St. means it can serve as a testbed for

Louis Lambert International airport future technology insertion, a key ca-
in Missouri. pability for the air force,” said Boeing.
The company plans to deliver the “Modern variants of the F-15 also

first two of the jets to the service in include fly-by-wire flight controls,

the first quarter of 2021. an all-new digital cockpit, modern

Boeing’s St. Louis facility manu- AESA radar and the ADCP-II, the
factures all variants of the F-15, as world’s fastest mission computer.”

ANAVIA’s first product for the drone common sensor and payload systems for well as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The fighter also now comes with

industry: a vertical take-off and landing a wide range of uses make the HT-100 an The initial 90-minute flight BAE Systems’ Eagle Passive Active

wiss company ANAVIA has unveiled (VTOL) system big enough to provide economical alternative to conventional included a check of the fighter’s Warning Survivability System, an

San unmanned helicopter that they a heavy payload (65 kg, or approx. 140 helicopters,” said the announcement. avionics, mission systems and soft- electronic warfare system.

claim as “the most advanced unmanned pounds) and a long flight endurance. The HT-100 has been certified by the ware, the company said. A ground In 2020, the USAF awarded Boeing

aerial vehicle (UAV) system in the world.” ANAVIA said they are targeting the HT- Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation. team monitored data during the a (US) $1.2 billion contract to manu-

“An unmanned helicopter for up to 65 100 to customers in surveying, surveillance, ANAVIA is offering a full service flight and the aircraft performed as facture the first lot of eight aircraft.

kg of payload and 240 minutes of flight logistics, defence and more. solution with the aircraft: training, system planned, Boeing said. The service programme of record

time. It’s the new benchmark in safety, The ANAVIA is designed for safety, maintenance, servicing, inspections, repairs The F-15EX is based on ‘ad- calls for up to 144 examples, valued

performance and ease of operation,” said with multiple redundancies including and customer service. As demand for drone vanced’ F-15 variants of the fighter, at around (US) $23 billion. Q

the company announcement. a backup motor. The 240 minute flight delivery solutions as well as long-range

ANAVIA joins the drone industry from a time and heavy payload capacity put the surveillance and inspection applications

manufacturing heritage. HT-100 unmanned helicopter in a different increases, ANAVIA’s unmanned helicopter

The company was established in 2019 category than many delivery drones: but concept could provide a compelling option

as a subsidiary of the CONNOVA Group, the company points out that the HT-100 for advanced applications currently handled

a global developer and manufacturer of is a cost-effective alternative to manned by manned aircraft.

carbon composite products, for aerospace helicopter flights. “With the HT-100, ANAVIA is entering the

and motor racing sector. “The low flight and maintenance costs growing UAV market at exactly the right

The HT-100 unmanned helicopter is and high compatibility with the most moment,” said the announcement. Q
HYDROGEN-POWERED DRONES
Hydrogen-powered drones can stay and far between. According to the US
airborne far longer than LiPo (lithium- department of Energy, there are 44
ntelligent Energy, a UK-based manu- ion polymer) drones without needing and 42 of them are in California. Eighty-
Ifacturer of lightweight fuel cell power multiple batteries and launch points. four of Europe’s 175-plus stations are

modules for UAVs, has claimed it has Hydrogen is combined in the fuel cell in Germany.

solved the just-in-time delivery problem of with oxygen from the air to produce The transportation of full, UAV-

ge�ng fuel to hydrogen-powered drones. electricity; as long as hydrogen fuel compatible, hydrogen cylinders is not

Its answer: the introduction of a is provided to the cell, the battery permitted in Europe or the United

‘game-changing’ high-pressure valve that generates power. This makes them States - they must be filled at hydrogen

will enable drone operators to legally valuable for long-range missions such fuelling stations, which are sparse. This

transport full cylinders of hydrogen to as gathering aerial data or performing has impacted the time and cost of using

power their UAVs. long-range deliveries and inspections, hydrogen fuel cells in drone operations.

“This valve is a key enabler and will or for applications requiring larger Intelligent Energy hopes its value can

make it simple for our customers to get drones and payloads. resolve key distribution issues for getting

their full cylinders where they need them Hydrogen batteries also work well in hydrogen to the drones for fuelling. “The
and ready to use,” said Andy Kelly, UAV extreme cold weather, can be refuelled in next logical step is to get them delivered
product development. minutes and don’t emit greenhouse gasses directly to our customers,” Kelly said.
The company has claimed its IE-Soar like long-range, gas-powered drones do. “We want it to be as simple and

fuel cells can power drones three times Yet, around the world, hydrogen straightforward as ordering barbecue gas

longer than LiPo batteries. fuelling stations currently are few and getting empty cylinders collected.” Q
World Airnews | March 2021 World Airnews | March 2021
— 32 — — 33 —