Unmanned Systems Technology 026 I Tecdron TC800-FF I Propellers I USVs I AUVSI 2019 part 1 I Robby Moto UAVE I Singular Aircraft FlyOx I Teledyne SeaRaptor I Simulation & Testing I Ocean Business 2019 report

75 That in turn means the airframe is constrained by the size of the container. The aircraft is also designed to be dismantled easily so that it can be transported safely around the world in the container. It can then be reassembled in a few hours. While the base design of the aircraft was established in 2015 by Singular for firefighting, it had to be extensively modified to fly supply runs into disaster areas. The water tank has been replaced by a specialist cargo system that is linked into the autopilot, while new cargo loading and refuelling systems have been developed. The cargo system consists of a series of slots that can carry either payload or fuel, depending on the mission requirements. This ability to trade off fuel and payload is necessary, as the aircraft may have to fly from another country into a war-torn region. “We are able to deliver 1000 sets of rations through 1000 km without refuelling. If you reduce the range to 520 km we can deliver 3000 rations,” says Lostao. The system is designed to be flexible enough to balance the different range requirements with the need to maximise the payload delivery, and to make it easy to refill both the cargo and the fuel. The cargo bay can be refilled in two ways. One option is to use the doors under the high wing. These feed directly into the top of the cargo bay, allowing boxes of rations to be almost thrown into the aircraft by hand, without the need for particular placement. Each box weighs 13 kg and carries a day’s rations for one person. There are two lateral cargo doors under each wing, each 700 mm wide, the biggest size the team could fit without obstructing the crossbeam of the aircraft. The restocking takes 20 minutes, the same as refuelling. If the whole bay is dedicated to cargo, the aircraft can be raised on a jack, the bay door opened and a pallet of aid lifted in. Closing the bay doors secures the pallet. Operation In operation, the aircraft flies low over the drop zone, using cameras to monitor the ground. Using GPS and the autopilot mission plan, or a trigger from a remote pilot, a simple solenoid opens the bay doors. The cargo then falls to the ground. Agencies such as the UN are using pilots to remotely monitor the aircraft to ensure that the drop zone is clear, although that would also be arranged with staff on the ground. A ground station has been developed to support this type of remote operation with the aircraft flying autonomously, in preference to just flying the aircraft remotely. The rations themselves are carried in a rugged box that will survive the drop. Smaller, 50 kg, sodium sacks can also be carried. These fit easily though the doors and are packaged in a three-layer bag that can also withstand the drop. Singular Aircraft FlyOx | Digest Unmanned Systems Technology | June/July 2019 The range and cargo capacity can be varied depending on the mission requirements Using GPS and the autopilot mission plan, or a trigger from a remote pilot, a simple solenoid opens the bay doors. The cargo then falls to the ground