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Another hydrogen fuel cell drone launches, a drone startup fails, two Chinese drone companies in a patent dispute, Flirtey defibrillator delivery drone flies, the AMA has a message for Congress, insurance drones take to the skies, and a missing woman is located with a drone.
Narwhal 2 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Drone
UAV News
BSHARK launches new hydrogen-powered drone
BSHARK and MicroMultiCopter (MMC) have partnered on a hydrogen-powered quadcopter called the Narwhal 2. The aluminum frame, foldable design drone uses an 800 Watt metal-based PEM fuel cell. Hydrogen stored in a 3.5-liter carbon fiber cylinder covered with an aluminum alloy that is good for at least 500 fillings. The Narwhal 2 fuel cell drone has a claimed two-hour flight time and the transmitters have a 30 km range.
BSHARK Narwhal 2- A $6800 hydrogen fuel cell drone
For a good overview, see: Will Hydrogen Fuel the Drones of the Future? | 7 Benefits of Hydrogen Over LiPo Drones.
Drone startup Airware crashes, shuts down after burning $118M
Without advance notice, Airware told employees it was immediately shutting down operations. Airware was a drone operating system startup that had raised $118 million from investors. The company tried to manufacture their own hardware but couldn’t compete with DJI and other Chinese drone manufacturers.
Chinese netizens furious as homegrown drone companies sue each other in US
Chinese company Autel Robotics filed a formal complaint against DJI with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) claiming that DJI infringed on two Autel patents. Autel asked the ITC to ban all DJI products from being imported into the US. Thinking Autel was a US company, Chinese social media erupted. When it was understood that Autel was a local company, Chinese social media pointed their anger at Autel.
Drone Delivery Company Conducts City of Reno’s First FAA-Approved Multi-Drone Flight
Flirtey conducted its first official drone flights in Reno, Nevada under the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. In a simulated delivery of automated external defibrillators, a single operator simultaneously piloted multiple Flirtey drones. Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeney said, “This program runs us through the end of 2020, so we expect that we’ll be regularly saving lives and improving consumer lifestyles through drone delivery in Reno even before that,” Sweeney said. “We’re talking less than 24 months.”
Risk-Based Approach for Recreational Regulations Essential in Upcoming FAA Reauthorization
From the Academy of Model Aeronautics’ Government Relations Blog: “…AMA president Rich Hanson sent letters to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, requesting they consider a risk-based approach to regulating recreational unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This would ensure the safe integration of UAS into the nation’s airspace while continuing to allow responsible model aircraft operators to fly safely.”
Congressional Update for FAA Reauthorization – 9/19/2018
New waiver for drone operations over populated areas to help State Farm® respond to damage in states impacted by Hurricane Florence
Insurance company State Farm was granted a waiver by the FAA to fly drones in four states over people and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (“BVLOS”). State Farm will use the drones to assess damage from the hurricane and process claims faster. The company says, “State Farm needs to quickly assess damage after significant weather events. Drone technology provides us with the capability to quickly deploy over a catastrophe site and assess damage from the air. The data we obtain from drone flights can be used to help us determine the severity of damage. This also allows us to place our Claims team on-the-ground and evaluate uninhabitable insured property.”
Drone deputy shows how device saved woman
A 78-year-old woman with dementia was lost in Pokagon State Park in Indiana. Teams spent eleven hours searching 1300 acres, then chief drone pilot, deputy Shafter Baker of the Noble County Sheriff’s Department was called in. He found the woman in about 30 minutes using the heat sensor on the DJI Inspire. Baker said a ground search would have taken days.
State Farm is an interested party with Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) under the FAA Integration Pilot Program (IPP).