Insitu sets new company record for longest flight at 25.5 hours with its integrator unmanned aircraft system

Insitu, A Boeing Company, recently set a company record for the longest duration flight with a 25.5-hour sortie with its Integrator Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) on an operational mission.

The record flight was achieved with a 150-pound Integrator equipped for a multi-payload mission. It surpassed the previous record of 24.2 hours performed in 2014, also with an Integrator. 

The customer requested persistent eyes on target for an extended period. The Integrator's configuration, with its long endurance capability, allowed the customer to use one aircraft instead of two or more lower endurance aircraft. 

UAS with lower endurance require transitioning among multiple aircraft to maintain persistent eyes on a target. The Integrator allows customers to assure sustained eyes on target with less risk to the mission. 

Long endurance aircraft reduce risk with fewer launch and recovery sequences, where UAS are most vulnerable to damage. They also provide better coverage in areas with sparse basing and allow customers to operate with less equipment and manpower than aircraft with lower endurance. 

Korean Air partners with Airbus Helicopters on vertical unmanned aerial systems

Korean Air and Airbus Helicopters signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) earlier this month to develop vertical unmanned aerial systems (VUAS) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

Jung-woo Park, head of Korean Air’s Aerospace Business Division, and Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, attended the signing ceremony in Seoul.

As highlighted in the MOA, Korean Air and Airbus Helicopters will develop unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for the ROK Navy: a ship-borne reconnaissance UAS and a UAS to surveil Korea’s northwest islands. Korean Air will combine its experience and know-how in UAS development with Airbus Helicopters’ expertise in UAS design and manufacturing, and knowledge gained from their in-house VSR700 UAS program.

Korean Air is leading the Korean unmanned aerial system market with its 20 years of experience and expertise. Through this partnership, Korean Air plans to strengthen its position in the global VUAS market.

In June, Korean Air established a next-generation stealth drone R&D centre, and in August, the company was also selected as the preferred bidder for the Korean Agency for Defense Development’s (ADD) “stealth UAV squadron development.”

As a leading company in the development of the Korean aerospace and defence sector, Korean Air will continue to represent and serve the national aerospace and defence industry.

Wisk Aero to bring advanced air mobility to Australia with Queensland Local Government

Photo Wisk Aero

Wisk expands global presence with the addition of Australia-based personnel

Memorandum of Understanding with the Council of Mayors South East Queensland will see the two organizations working in partnership to support the rollout of accessible, autonomous, and sustainable flight in the region.

After New Zealand, South East Queensland is the next step for the introduction of autonomous air taxi services and the further expansion of Wisk into Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

Photo Wisk Aero

Wisk Aero, a leading Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company and developer of the first all-electric, self-flying air taxi in the U.S., is bringing the future of flight to Australia through a new partnership with the Council of Mayors South East Queensland (“Council of Mayors”). In addition to this new partnership, the company will also be expanding its physical presence in the country, with the addition of Australia-based personnel.

Wisk’s entry into Australia is driven by a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council of Mayors, which will see the two organizations working together to introduce safe, sustainable, and scalable, autonomous air taxi service to South East Queensland.

Gary Gysin, Chief Executive Officer of Wisk, said: “We are proud to engage with forward-thinking local leaders, like the Council of Mayors, to advance the introduction of AAM and benefit not only Wisk, but local communities and the industry as a whole. This is an exciting time for us, as we continue our momentum and expand our global presence. We look forward to building on the strong relationships we have in Australia to make safe, all-electric, autonomous flight a reality.”

The Council of Mayors Chair, Brisbane Lord Mayor Cr Adrian Schrinner, said the MOU would support engagement with the region’s Councils on the introduction of the Autonomous Air Mobility industry, including operators like Wisk, into South East Queensland. He said South East Queensland offered a mix of rural, beach, and city landscapes making it the perfect location to trial and launch new and innovative industries.

Wisk intends for its presence in Queensland to be long-term, and will be working with local government toward providing the city with green tourism and transport options. The company will also be displaying its 5th generation aircraft in Brisbane in July.

Lord Mayor Cr Adrian Schrinner, said: “Strong collaboration between our Councils is critical to ensure the industry understands the needs of our communities. It also enables our Councils to support, wherever possible, a consistent and collaborative approach to things like planning and regulation that will be critical to investment and rollout across our region. Council of Mayors kickstarted our Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games journey because we knew it would attract global businesses and innovative industries to our region, bringing with it new jobs and new economic opportunities. On the back of the Brisbane 2032 Games, we’re delighted to be working with Wisk to look at how South East Queensland can capitalise off the new jobs and economic opportunities associated with this new and exciting industry. We expect to see the emergence of advanced air technology in places like Paris and Los Angeles, and by 2032 I’d love to see it supporting new and innovative experiences for tourism and travel in South East Queensland.”

ModalAI launches VOXL 2, the smallest, smartest blue UAS framework autopilot at 16g

ModalAI, Inc., a Blue UAS Framework manufacturer of autonomous drone and robot technology, announced today the availability of the most capable autopilot in the world, VOXL 2, powered by the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G platform. At only 16 grams, VOXL 2 boasts more AI computing than any other autopilot. VOXL 2 integrates a PX4 real-time flight controller with an 8-core CPU up to 15 TOPs, seven image sensors, TDK IMUs and barometer, 5G connectivity and is assembled in the USA. 

Reliable Robotics Awarded U.S. Air Force Contract to Advance Aircraft Autonomy

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, confirmed this week it was awarded an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contract to design, develop and test autonomous aircraft capabilities on Air Force platforms. As part of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract, Reliable Robotics will demonstrate how its aircraft agnostic design can be quickly adapted for new airframes through simulated and real-world flight tests. The autonomy upgrade will be capable of installation on a wide variety of aircraft.

“Our remotely piloted aircraft system unlocks opportunities for all defense agencies and drives mission success in cargo delivery, logistics, surveillance, and other applications where higher tempos and lower costs are vital,” said Dr. David O’Brien, Major General (Ret.), and Senior Vice President of Government Solutions at Reliable Robotics.

The company has a track record of industry-firsts on the path to Federal Aviation Administration certification of its Remotely Operated Aircraft System. Reliable Robotics made commercial aviation history in 2019 by remotely piloting a Cessna 172 Skyhawk over a populated region without any onboard crew, and in 2021 by remotely operating the Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft, from a control center over 50 miles away. The same year, the company was named a Collier Trophy finalist for great achievements in aeronautics in the United States.

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Embraer's Eve forms partnership deal with Acciona for sustainable Urban Air Mobility ecosystem

Eve UAM and Acciona, a global company leader in the provision of regenerative solutions for a decarbonized economy have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of a global and sustainable Urban Air Mobility ecosystem. 

Acciona will invest US$30 million and will join the group of strategic investors that are currently supporting the development of Eve and its business plan. As part of the agreement, José Manuel Entrecanales, Acciona's Chairman and CEO, will become one of the seven members of the Board of Directors after Eve's listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2022.

"Whether we like it or not, the world's population is increasingly concentrating in larger cities. Keeping the climate footprint of these urban areas at bay is one of the greatest challenges of the decarbonization process we are all engaged in," said José Manuel Entrecanales. "Urban air transport models such as the one proposed by Eve can be very useful when considering different sustainable mobility solutions. Participating in a project as innovative as Eve will allow us to continue advancing along that path."

"Our agreement with Acciona reinforces Eve's commitment to delivering a sustainable UAM ecosystem, which includes not only our zero-emission eVTOL - electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle - but also the green infrastructure that will support this new way of transport. Its capability to build these infrastructures, added to its top credentials in sustainability, bring essential skills and expertise to the business that will help us to maintain our distinction in the market," said André Stein, co-CEO of Eve.

Natilus reaches milestones in design and development of fleet of highly efficient autonomous freight aircraft

Natilus, Inc., the U.S. company working to democratize global freight transport by making air cargo more competitive, today announced major milestones in the design and development of its fleet of autonomous aircraft and an important new contract with Collins Aerospace to provide specialized cargo loading systems.

Natilus signs contract with Collins Aerospace for design, development and integration of specialized cargo loading system for the first Natilus prototype

Blended wing design and new loading systems will increase efficiencies, lowering costs by 60%, increasing cargo volume by 60% and cutting carbon emissions in half

Natilus begins production of vertical tails for N3.8T aircraft

Natilus on track for first flight in 2023

Natilus is offering a family of autonomous cargo aircraft with greater efficiency and cost-savings by innovating the design of freight transport aircraft to increase cargo volume by 60%. This will lower the cost of freight operations by 60% and cut carbon emissions in half.

“Currently, 90% of all goods are transported worldwide via shipping, but 90% of all ‘value goods’ are shipped through air freight – just because of current capacity and cost,” explained Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus. “Our goal is to dramatically change this equation through efficiencies of design and operations to make air freight more competitive to capture market share. Our new contract with Collins brings us another step closer to entering the cargo aircraft manufacturing market.”

“Collins Aerospace is a global leader in the design, manufacture and certification of advanced cargo handling systems for commercial aircraft,” said Alison Davidson, vice president and general manager, Cargo/Hoist & Winch for Collins Aerospace. “For the Natilus family of aircraft, we’re adapting proven cargo handling designs with millions of flight hours in service to create a new system that efficiently uses the additional space of the Natilus blended wing design to maximize cargo capacity.”

The Natilus contract with Collins is instrumental in creating efficiencies of operation, including increasing aircraft cargo volume. Collins is designing a specialized Cargo Loading System for the Natilus 3.8T prototype with rolling ball mats, attachments, and standard flip-up latches and will accommodate LD3-New and LD3-45 containers and bulk loads.

The Natilus family of cargo aircraft includes:

N3.8T: 3.8 ton payload short-haul feeder UAV

N60T: 60 ton payload medium/long range UAV

N100T: 100 ton payload long-range UAV

N130T: 130 ton payload long-range UAV

The design of the Natilus 3.8T is complete and has undergone initial wind tunnel testing. Natilus is also initiating production of the vertical tails of the N3.8T aircraft this week, another major milestone in the company’s timeline. Flights are scheduled to begin in 2023. Natilus recently announced more than $6B in pre-orders.

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