Tag Archives: hydrogen fuel

362 United eVTOL

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United Airlines plans to provide eVTOL service, hydrogen transportation for fuel cell UAVs, flying an uncrewed aircraft through a hurricane, drones meet law enforcement and privacy, and drones for STEM.

UAV News

United First Major Airline to Move on Electric Planes Starting with Uber-Like Service to Airports

United Airlines plans to have a role in the urban air mobility market with “last mile” transportation between airports and urban destinations using low-emission electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The United eVTOL will be developed by partner Archer and carry four passengers up to 60 miles at speeds up to 150 miles per hour. United and regional affiliate Mesa Airlines have committed to purchase up to 200 of the planes in a deal valued at $1 billion.

High-Pressure Valve Developed for UAV Hydrogen Transportation

Without a special rated valve, transportation of full UAV-compatible hydrogen cylinders is not permitted. In the EU, the Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive (TPED) specifies the safety requirements for transportable pressure equipment used exclusively for the transport of dangerous goods (Class 2) within the Union. Transportable pressure equipment is required to bear the Pi marking to indicate compliance with the directive. The US DoT also has a similar requirement.

Intelligent Energy, which offers hydrogen fuel cell modules and accessories for UAVs, developed the rated Pressure Tech CV414 valve. With it, you can transport full cylinders of hydrogen for powering drones. Andy Kelly, Head of UAV Product Development at Intelligent Energy says, “Now full UAV compatible cylinders can be transported; the next logical step is to get them delivered directly to our customers. We want it to be as straightforward as ordering barbecue gas and getting empty cylinders collected.”
Promotional video: Fuel cell power for UAVs

Drones That Hunt Hurricanes – NOAA Puts Some To The Test

Last month, NOAA scientists launched a small research drone from a Hurricane Hunter plane to collect weather data used for hurricane forecasts. The Altius-600 uncrewed aircraft created by Area-I was adapted for sampling weather data, can fly up to four hours and up to 265 miles, and is not recoverable after being used in a storm.

*An Altius uncrewed research drone similar to those being tested by scientists aboard NOAA Hurricane Hunters. Courtesy of Area-I via NOAA.*

The Altius-600 is the first of three small uncrewed aircraft systems NOAA is testing. The research supports NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Strategy to expand the use of uncrewed systems. The development and testing of the uncrewed systems is also supported by NOAA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program.

Florida Legislation Could Bolster Police Use of Drones

State Senate Bill 44 unanimously passed the Florida Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee. It expands the use of drones by law enforcement and government agencies. Under the bill, drones could be used to assist with traffic management (but not to issue a ticket based on images or video captured by a drone), assist in collecting evidence at a crime scene or traffic crash scene. assess damage after natural disasters, and assist fire department personnel. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has raised privacy concerns. The bill is under review by the Senate’s Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Committee.

Drones for Schools: The North Carolina Educator UAS Cohort is a Model that Works

The North Carolina Educators UAS Cohort (NCEUASC) provides educators with support and training so they can effectively adopt drones as a tool in a STEAM curriculum. The Cohort provided all members with a Tello EDU fly more kit, as well as a one-year membership to drone curriculum provider DroneBlocks. The UAS Cohort is a partnership between the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, the North Carolina DOT, Nine Ten Drones, STEMERALD City, and media partner, Dronelife. In May 2021, the NCEUASC will be hosting a virtual competition for North Carolina students.

353 Building Drone Highways

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Drone highways and corridors, flying over the ocean on hydrogen, a hybrid drone sets a new flight record, a world civil UAS market forecast looks bright, and a DroneMasters online meetup.

UAV News:

Digital Drone Highways: a Future Transportation Network

Airspace Link is a company that wants to play a role in developing drone highways for safe and efficient transportation. The company connects private drone operators with state and local governments. Their tag line is: Partnering with local government to expand drone innovation through communication, collaboration & connection and Airspace Link offers the “AirHub for Government” and “AirHub for Pilots” cloud-based drone platforms to manage and build a local drone community.

President and CEO Michael Healander says, “If you were to set up these drone highways, it’s really about figuring out the safest areas for the kind of drone I’m going to fly and figuring out the probability of hurting someone on the ground in creating these corridors.”

But are drone highways the right idea? We contemplate that question.

Hydrogen-powered VTOL drone flies for 3.5 hours

The Micro Air Vehicle Lab (MAVLab) of TU Delft University has developed a hydrogen fuel cell-powered drone in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Netherlands Coastguard. The 3-meter (9.8 ft) wingspan VTOL weighs 13 kg (29 lb) with 12 motors and propellers distributed on two wings. The 800-watt fuel cell stores hydrogen in a 300-bar (4,351-psi) composite hydrogen cylinder holding 6.8-liters.

Video: Novel versatile hydrogen drone developed by TUDelft – MAVLab

Quaternium partners with Löweheiser EFI startup to achieve a new Flight Record of 10 hours 14 minutes with HYBRiX drone

The experimental HYBRiX hybrid quadcopter hovered for over 10 hours after being loaded with 16 liters of fuel.

Video: New World Record of 10 hours 14 minutes with HYBRiX drone

Teal Group Predicts Worldwide Civil Drone Production Will Triple

A Teal Group study (2020/2021 World Civil UAS Market Profile and Forecast) finds that non-military UAS production will total $108 billion in the next 10 years. Such production was $5 billion worldwide in 2020 and is expected to grow to $18.4 billion in 2029 for a 15.6% compound annual growth rate in constant dollars. Teal Group analysis says consumer drone purchases are slowing, government purchases are small but growing, but commercial use will drive the market with a 21% compound annual growth rate.

DroneMasters Meetup

The 54th DroneMasters Meetup will be held on 2 December 2020. The online event features one hour of “full droning” with speakers from Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, and the U.S. talking about amphibious drones, kidney deliveries, and acceptance of urban air mobility.

Since 2015, the DroneMasters Meetups connect relevant stakeholders from business, science, politics, and society. More than 4,000 experts and enthusiasts from all industry sectors have already participated in the DroneMasters Meetups in Africa, Europe, and North America to share knowledge, present projects, trigger developments, and promote the sustainable use of lower airspace.

UAV Video of the Week

Mesmerizing Drone Footage Shows Flamingo Flock Gathering in Kazakhstan Lake

A photographer was able to capture stunning footage of a massive flock of flamingos on a Kazakhstan lake.

Video: Mesmerizing flock of flamingos filmed by drone in Kazakhstan

UAV233 Drone Legislation Priorities for 2018

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Drone legislation priorities for 2018, UAVs and university research, Piaggio’s latest P.1HH HammerHead, unmanned vehicles from Turkey, the drones made by DJI, drone applications in Maine, and hydrogen fuel cells for drones.

UAV News

Commercial Drone Alliance: Legislative Priorities for 2018

Founded in 2016, the Commercial Drone Alliance is an independent non-profit organization led by members of the commercial drone industry. They “…advocate for the commercial use of drones by reducing barriers… creating value for commercial enterprise end users to facilitate adoption of drone technology… [and] educate on the benefits of drone technology for various end user communities.”

The Alliance has eight drone legislation priorities [PDF] they feel the U.S. Congress should support in the FAA Reauthorization bill or other relevant legislation:

1. 1. Eliminate (or at the very least amend) the Section 336 hobbyist loophole, which endangers the safety and security of the airspace and slows innovation.
  2. Require the FAA to require remote identification for all drones over 250 grams, including hobbyist drones.
  3. Direct the FAA to swiftly implement a rule authorizing low-risk operations over people.
  4. Direct the FAA to allow safe operations beyond visual line of sight in a timely way.
  5. Direct the FAA to streamline and improve the operation waiver process.
  6. Direct the FAA to implement a “Trusted Operator” program that establishes streamlined permitting and operational procedures for authorized commercial UAS operations.
  7. State the sense of Congress supporting the industry-driven Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) System and its timely implementation.
  8. Ensure that UAS programs, and relevant agency offices, are adequately funded and staffed to accomplish these priorities and support existing programs in a timely way.

Additionally, the Alliance wants Congress to pass appropriately-tailored UAS threat mitigation legislation as part of an FAA/DOD/DHS reauthorization, and design certain tax incentives.

UAV-ersity Research: The Soaring Rise of UAV’s and University Research

Researchers have found that UAVs represent a new tool for professional data collection applications. Plus, university-level unmanned aerial vehicle programs are widely available. Mike Hogan, Microdrones’ Sales Director for the Americas, recommends that a basic needs analysis is performed to understand what the researcher’s goal is, what data they are trying to collect, and how they are going to apply it.

P.1HH HammerHead Unmanned Aerial System to enter in service with UAE armed forces

Piaggio Aerospace P.1HH HammerHead

Piaggio Aerospace showed its latest P.1HH HammerHead at the International Unmanned Systems Exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The HammerHead is derived from the P.180 Avanti II commercial aircraft, and is designed for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The UAV can be fitted with communications intelligence (COMINT), electronics intelligence (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT). According to the Defense Industry Daily website, Piaggio has eight orders to be delivered to the UAE from 2018, is an expression of interest from the Italian military.

Turkey May Try to Build an Unmanned Tank

Turkey has been building unmanned aircraft for some time, but now Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says, “We will carry it a step further [after domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicles] . . . We should reach the ability to produce unmanned tanks as well. We will do it.”

All 39 DJI drones ever made!

According to We Talk UAV, DJI has made 39 different drones since the company started in 2006, and they have a video illustrating the different models of the Wind series, Flame Wheel series, Phantoms, Mavics, Inspires, the Spark, Agras series, Matrice series, and the Spreading Wing series.

DJI has made 39 drones already!!

Drones that reconstruct accidents, monitor crops could put 800 Mainers to work

Drone use by first responders and others is increasing across the country. The State of Maine provides some good examples of the value they can add, including the creation of new jobs.

HES Energy Systems Announces Smallest and Lightest Hydrogen Fuel Cell For Drone Applications

Hydrogen fuel cells offer the prospect of longer flight times, with a Wh/kg energy density 2 to 5 times higher than lithium batteries Singapore-based HES Energy Systems announced they now manufacture the world’s smallest and lightest hydrogen fuel cell for drones. With previous applications for the defense industry, HES is now deploying their technology for commercial applications. Their Aeropack Series is intended for drone manufacturers to integrate into their products. The Aerostak series is available for more advanced applications.

UAV Video of the Week

Drone vs Piper Cub, via Dave Homewood on the Flight – Audio & Video Facebook page.

Mentioned

David will be attending the 3rd annual FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Symposium at the Baltimore Convention Center March 6th and March 7th, 2018. The event is cosponsored by the FAA and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). He hopes to see you there!

UAV142 Drone Dealer Expo 2016 – Part 1

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Observations from the Drone Dealer Expo, hydrogen fueled drones, a drone rescue patent, and proposed federal preemption of UAS laws.

Guest

Mike Daniels says he has been designing, building and flying model aircraft since the 1970s. He’s flown free flight, control line, and RC airplanes, helicopters, and multi-rotors. Mike built an F550 with parts he designed and printed, and he’s currently flying a Yuneec Typhoon Q500 and an Ares Ethos Q130. His new Typhoon H should arrive at any moment.

Mike holds an FAA pilot’s certificate to fly single engine land and sea planes, and an FAA repairman certificate for Light Sport Airplanes with a Maintenance Rating.

Mike shares his experiences by blogging at blog.mikeflys.com, and he’s created an online e-paper called “The UAV Daily.” He’s also starting a drone store at www.mikeflys.com where he’ll only sell products he knows and likes. Follow Mike on Twitter as @Mike_Flys.

Drone Dealer Expo 2016

Mike gives us his observations from the Drone Dealer Expo he attended April 11-13, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. Mike characterizes the attendees and describes some of the event themes.

A drone racing expo was held in the parking lot to demo FPV racing, and there was talk about ESPN broadcasting races. The subsequent press story With ESPN deal, drone racing gets serious confirms that ESPN has signed a multi-year deal to broadcast drone races.

We talk with Mike about the theory that the timing of the FAA UAS registration requirement may have depressed holiday drone sales. We also learn that a panel discussion led to a lively discussion about UAS regulations. There was a consensus belief that a future drone operator’s certificate will require an in-person written test, not an online test.

News

MMC’s Hydrogen-fueled Drone, the HyDrone 1800, Leads the Way into a New UAV Era

MicroMultiCopter Aero Technology Co., Inc. (MMC) launched their HyDrone 1800, a hydrogen-fueled drone with a claimed flight time in excess of four hours, a one-minute recharge cycle, and a flight radius of up to 100km with a live video stream.

Google Has Patented a Drone Rescue Service

Google’s concept is that users could push a button instead of calling 911 and get the help they need, delivered by a self-flying drone.

Lawmakers seek to ensure FAA bill won’t preempt local drone laws

Senate debates contentious provision against state drone laws

Some members of the US Senate are adding amendments to the FAA reauthorization bill that would create a federal preemption for state or local laws related to the design, manufacture, testing, licensing, registration, certification, operation, or maintenance of UAS. Local governments could not regulate airspace, altitude, flight paths, equipment or technology requirements, and pilot requirements.

Video of the Week

Killerdrone! Flying chainsaw

Crazy Finnish farmers built an epic drone with a remote controlled chainsaw.