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62 Digest | ElevonX Sierra VTOL the wings to maintain the CoG. Also, some gasoline engines are being trialled, which will eventually be offered as a hybrid-electric version of the Sierra VTOL; flight endurance is anticipated at around 5 hours. Electrical power was chosen for the launch version, owing to its simplicity of engineering and use compared with IC engines, but consultations with users have revealed that Sierra VTOLs are being flown increasingly close to their endurance limits, spurring rapid development of a hybrid powertrain. “The first trials are underway using the OS Max from OS Engines,” Langus says, “It’s a 15 cc engine that fits perfectly in the UAV, but we know that for commercial use we’ll want an engine supplier who provides us with a complete solution, including a generator, starter and so on. “It will mean having some more vibration damping but we’ve already prepared some approaches to account for that, and we’ll place the fuel tank where the e-motor’s battery pack is currently. “We’re also looking into some hydrogen fuel cell systems, not necessarily for the Sierra VTOL but for the Tango, which is a product in the pipeline that has a similar shape to the Sierra VTOL but is bigger, large enough to house a sizeable hydrogen gas tank. The Tango has a 3 m wingspan in the electric propulsion version, with a 4 m wingspan version planned for hybrid and hydrogen powertrains.” Future plans In addition to serving new customers with unique payload bay requirements, investigating the gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain for the Sierra VTOL and working on its larger Tango VTOL, ElevonX is also looking into the possibility of a new kind of base system for Sierra VTOL fleets. “We’re working on this with Austrian companies APB Corporation and DroneTech,” Langus says. “APB’s subsidiary Auto Robotics is developing an automatic drone box that will be big enough to house Sierra VTOL UAVs. “That will allow permanent stationing of our UAVs in key areas where customers need regularly scheduled mapping, inspection or logistics tasks. The box will shield them from the elements while automatically keeping their batteries charged and uploading flight plans or changes as needed.” February/March 2022 | Unmanned Systems Technology SkyEye Sierra VTOL VTOL-transition UAV Twin-boom quadrotor with fixed wings Dimensions: 3100 x 1520 mm Weight: 13.5 kg Payload weight capacity: 3 kg Payload volume capacity: 350 x 180 x 140 mm Maximum payload power supply: 35 W @ 12 V (customisable for higher) Operating airspeed: 65 kph Maximum airspeed: 110 kph Maximum endurance: 3 hours Some key suppliers Autopilot system: CubePilot Actuators: Hitec Pitot tubes: Matek Telemetry comms: RFDesign High-bandwidth comms: Microhard GCS: peRISKop Composite materials: R&G Composites Safety parachute: Galaxy GBS Connectors: Hirose Navigational lights: Aveo Engineering Electric motors: T-Motor ESCs: T-Motor Propellers: T-Motor Propellers: Robbe Power supply: Mauch Electronics Lithium-polymer batteries: GensACE Lithium-polymer batteries: Tattu Lithium-ion batteries: Samsung RGB cameras: Sony Multispectral cameras: MicaSense Lidar: YellowScan Day/night stabilised video: AtmoLab Day/night stabilised video: NextVision Key specifications ElevonX is now working with APB and DroneTech on ground stations that will house permanent installations of Sierra VTOLs in areas with frequent customers