66 Insight | UAVs VoloCitys will enter service in 2024, once they have been type-certified by the EASA. The operations will last around 2 years, take place around the German towns of Idar-Oberstein and Dinkelsbuhl, and involve deploying the craft to supplement rescue helicopters to provide rapid air assistance. Defence logistics It is with good reason that the tandem bicopter configuration is synonymous with the Chinook, as it is one of the longestserving vehicle models in the US military and other defence groups, thanks to its considerable lifting capacity and stable flight, making it a mainstay of troop transport and logistics operations, even in front-line deliveries. The qualities of that architecture are a key part of the ongoing development and attraction of platforms such as UAS Global Services’ Anzen EG-1250, which as of mid2023 had reached commercial readiness. One unit is being delivered to defence and logistics group Modini in the UK, another is going to users in Australia later this year, and there have been many other commercial enquiries about the craft. “Most of the Anzen’s testing was completed in Colorado last year, with the remaining trials aimed largely at making it commercially useable,” said Anthony Miller, business developer at UAS Global Services. “That has included using it continuously and maturing it in flight operations to ensure it consistently performs in the air for long periods, that it can land on uneven surfaces, and that it can fly quickly and efficiently whenever our end-users need it to. “We’re also doing a lot of beta testing with our first customers, so we not only gather more operational data on the Anzen at a faster rate but also get good feedback on exactly how they want to use it. We’ve also been working to nail down our parts’ supply lines to make sure our construction and maintenance plans can be carried out reliably and sustainably.” Those parts include Wankel rotary hybrid power units from Sky Power and a number of key components from the US such as bearings, as well as key manufacturing services such as CNC machining. The power unit gives the 113.4 kg MTOW UAV a cruising speed of 65 knots and a payload capacity of 34 kg, with onboard fuel tanks and battery enabling up to 6 hours of flight endurance. Urban logistics As more commercial organisations become aware of the efficiency that UAVs could add to their logistics, demand is rising for new approaches to autonomous heavy cargo lifting. Of particular importance are those that can produce either limited or zero carbon during flights over cities or other populated areas, where emissions caps might be in place and where the uncrewed vehicle’s safety is paramount for preventing harm to the people below. US company Electrafly’s approach to efficient heavy autonomous lifting has been informed by its previous experience in aerospace power and aerodynamics, one example being a personal August/September 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology The Anzen EG-1250 (top) and Sicura EG-1100 both run on Sky Power engines to provide services such as heavy logistics for defence (Courtesy of UAS Global Services) In addition to developing its UAV for heavy transport over cities and elsewhere, Electrafly is also designing a personal distributed lift transport vehicle (Courtesy of Electrafly)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mzk4