CUAV Expo Americas 2023 | Report climb to 3658 m AMSL. During flight, the operator can monitor the FCPM’s hydrogen fuel levels and health parameters via a CAN interface between the fuel cell controller and autopilot. Lastly, the Carrier H6 Electric integrates a 16 Ah lithium polymer battery system with a life cycle equivalent to 250 flights. This gives the batteryelectric hexacopter a 48-minute maximum flight time (without any payload), and while flight times can vary, its payload capacity is given as 8 kg. Whichever powertrain is integrated, the Carrier has a 25 kg MTOW, a maximum flight speed of 15 m/s and a maximum vertical ascent speed of 2.5 m/s. It also comes with dual-antenna RTK GNSS as standard, as well as dual-band comms with 2.4 GHz and 902-928 MHz data links, and a Cube Orange as autopilot. The company offers the system and its configurations for missions in search & rescue, industrial surveys (including with Lidars and IR cameras), and testing and developing new or proprietary payload solutions. Mag Specialties displayed a range of its extruded magnesium components as part of a static demonstration of the uses of magnesium in UAV airframes. “There are a lot of UAVs at this show with carbon tubes connecting their rotors to their main bodies, and everyone tells you the reason they choose carbon is because aluminium’s too heavy,” said Nes Abdulrahman. “But if you ask them why they aren’t using magnesium, they say they didn’t know it was an option. “Magnesium is one-third lighter than aluminium, so it approaches the weight of carbon fibre composites but has comparable mechanical properties to 6000-series Al alloys and is far cheaper than carbon. Granted, carbon brings benefits like being able to lay the fibres in certain directions to maximise directional strength, but wherever the linear properties of magnesium are suitable, there’s huge potential for cost savings in uncrewed aircraft structures.” The magnesium arrives at Mag Specialties’ facilities as a cylindrical billet. Extrusion begins with it being heated, after which it is pushed through a die, emerging from the other side in the shape defined by the die. The company’s parts are therefore predominantly linear, structural parts, although Abdulrahman added that curved parts such as gimbal housings can be produced through die casting or a process known as thixomoulding on request. Extruded components tend to have a lead time of around 8 weeks. “Magnesium also has fieldrepairability that you don’t get with carbon fibre,” Abdulrahman said. “If carbon cracks, it’s extremely difficult to patch, as essentially you’ve compromised it, but magnesium can be re-welded, patched or gradually bent if needed, much like aluminium.” Is your job search lacking focus? Frustrated at looking for autonomous and robotics related engineering vacancies on generic job boards? Visit www.uncrewedengineeringjobs.com for a clearer view of what’s on offer. Some of MAG Specialties’ extruded magnesium structural components
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