Unmanned Systems Technology 033 l SubSeaSail Gen6 USSV l Servo actuators focus l UAVs insight l Farnborough 2020 update l Transforma XDBOT l Strange Development REVolution l Radio telemetry focus

47 based Taranis, who specialise in payload development and back-end analysis for agricultural photogrammetry,” he says. “We integrated their payload, flew many hours and took many pictures with it. They analysed those photos, and determined the prevalence of diseases, insects, weeds and other problems to give the farmers a good idea of how and where they should be treating their crops.” Deep, field-wide photogrammetry is crucial for boosting agricultural yields, Pederiy adds, as most agriculture specialists – at least in Ukraine – will not travel far into the fields. They will stop at the edges and make projections based on the samples of data taken there. The Discovery measures 3.7 m in length with a 6 m wingspan, and is capable of up to 6 hours of endurance per fuel tank at a cruising speed of 100 kph. It runs on gasoline, using Italian company Polini Motori’s Thor 250 engine (a 244 cc single-cylinder two-stroke) with 1 kW of electric power generated using an alternator from British racing technology firm Brise. Its data link enables up to 300 km of autonomous flight, and with an MTOW of 170 kg it can carry up to 80 kg of payload weight, such as tanks of pesticides or fertilisers inside the fuselage, or gimbals with inspection sensors typically mounted on the strut between its landing wheels. Over the past six months, UAVita has partnered with Aeros, a local ultralight aircraft manufacturer, for series production of the Discovery. It has reworked its digital model of the UAV to better suit mass production of its structural components – including the fuselage, struts, spars and chemical spray lines – using Aeros’ machinery and processes. “Aeros will supply the resulting ‘kit sets’ to us, up to four units per month, so that we can assemble the aircraft in our workshops, integrate the electronics and the end-user’s desired payloads, before we then ship the vehicle,” Pederiy says. “In the future, we’d like to look into producing a series-hybrid version of this UAV. We’re confident about which generator we’ll pick, but we’re hoping for a big increase in battery energy density before we go down that route.” UAVs | Insight matters Unmanned Systems Technology | August/September 2020