Oklahoma, US-based company Skydweller Aero has completed the first uncrewed autonomous flight test campaign of its persistent drone, including a flight which lasted 22.5 hours.
Skydweller is developing a solar-powered uncrewed drone capable of performing extreme endurance flights with heavy payloads. The autonomous all carbon fiber aircraft has a wingspan of 72m (236ft), greater than a 747’s, and weighs about 2,550kg (5,620 lbs).
The company, which is headquartered in Oklahoma City and has offices in Spain, is aiming for the uncrewed aircraft to be used in ultra-long duration missions such as patrolling airspace, monitoring naval activity and detecting drug smugglers and pirates at sea.
Skydweller Aero bought the Solar Impulse 2 aircraft in 2019 to convert it into an unmanned drone. The Solar Impulse 2 aircraft achieved the world record for the longest non-stop solo flight in 2015 and holds the record for the longest continuous renewably powered flight.
After modifying the aircraft, Solar Impulse 2 flew as Skydweller for the first time in November 2020 and flew autonomously for he first time in February last year.
The series of uncrewed flight tests were launched from the company’s facility at Stennis International Airport in Kiln, Mississippi and was funded by the US-Government.
According to Skydweller, highlights of the flight test campaign included:
- A series of long endurance flight tests demonstrating potential to perform extreme endurance mission at a high operational tempo
- Demonstration of solar-powered flights with zero carbon emissions with ultra-quiet operations.
- The flights demonstrated uncrewed operation of Skydweller’s fully redundant autonomous systems and beyond-line-of-sight operations and communication system.
Dr Robert Miller, CEO and co-founder of Skydweller Aero said, “This flight test campaign is an important achievement and validates our business vision, marking a new era in autonomous aviation.
“We are redefining what is possible in the aerospace industry, and the data gathered validates our models for multi-day fights. We are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what uncrewed solar-powered aircraft can achieve and will continue our mission to bring perpetual flight to the world.”
Barry Matsumori, president and chief operating officer, Skydweller Aero said, “We have accomplished a major milestone toward demonstrating the feasibility of perpetual flight by leveraging trillions of dollars in global R&D investment in solar energy, battery storage, and the handing and manufacturing of extremely strong, ultra lightweight carbon fiber assemblies.
“As these subsystems improve, we will continue to leverage them for the benefit of our customers.”
The flight test campaign was initiated under a Joint Concept Technology Demonstration by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research & Engineering and sustained by a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division to evaluate Autonomous Maritime Patrol Aircraft .
