This is the crazy project that kept us busy lately at Quaternium: a hybrid electric+gas multirotor with range extender, inspired by Hybrid cars, such as BMWi3.
Our goal is to overcome the endurance limitations of an electric multicopter, while keeping the multirotor platform we are so enthusiastic about. This VTOL UAV has 2.5 hr estimated flight time with payload, and around 4 hours endurance otherwise.
These are the product specs:
HYBRIX 20
MTOW | 20.0 KG |
EMPTY WEIGHT | 11.3 KG |
PAYLOAD | 7.0 KG |
ENDURANCE (FULL LOAD) | 1.4 HR |
ENDURANCE (NO PAYLOAD) | 2.7 HR |
CRUISE SPEED | 80 KM/HR |
SIZE (MOTOR TO MOTOR) | 1350 MM |
Why are we working on this?
As you all know, the drone market is only starting. We believe there will be many more industrial applications emerging soon. With this new project, we seek to go beyond current technology limits and explore new possibilities of application.
What do you think about it? I’d love to hear your comments on this!
jlcortex
Comments
I'm guessing they extrapolated fuel burn rates.
I'm curious about the engine size they are using. I am guessing it's a Zenoah G26 or thereabouts, which would surprise me if it could lift that much weight?
I'm curious why have you only had 18 min max tested.
2.5 hours is a long way from there.
when, where, and how much?
p.s. don't go to kickstarter. ughhh
Too bad I am a broke student. I have so many ideas of ways of increasing flight times, glad that this is possible. So is this gas or nitro(not able to listen to the sound atm). And how many watts does your engine produce after the alternator?
Rob, we have made only 2 flight tests at this moment, longest flight has been 18 minutes. please be patient, we are going to do a endurance flight as soon as possible.
All this numbers are estimations as i said
I try to explain than not all is possible, you can flight 4 hours if you use all the payload weight in fuel (probably only for a demonstration flight), 2.5 or 2.7 hours with medium payload (2 or 2.5kg) and 1,4 hours with maximum possible payload.
@Rob, yip misleading for sure..... We get 90 minutes now with U8 motors 30 inch props and a Lipo Ion cell :-)
Interesting. Have you actually flown it for 1+ hours with payload yet?
I'm curious about the specs. If one assumes Fuel Load = MTOW - (Empty Weight + Payload), then you have 1.7kg of fuel, or about 2.4L?
I notice a discrepancy however. The text says 2.5 hours with payload and 4 hours without. Then the spec list says 1.4 hours with payload, and 2.7 without?
I want one !!
I like that it's noisy. In an industrial setting, this is an added safety feature. I think it would also help with public perception when doing work with this machine. "Something that noisy must not be spying on me." Here in Northern Canada the chainsaw sound isn't out of place.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
of 5 Next