Czech company makes commercial drone capable of flying for nine hours

Record ID: 876318

  • Title: Czech company makes commercial drone capable of flying for nine hours
  • Date: 17th May 2017
  • Summary: DRONE CAMERA SHOTS ON COMPUTER SCREEN
  • Embargoed: 31st May 2017 15:15
  • Keywords: Primoco UAV long flight time commercial civil unmanned aerial vehicle drone
  • Location: PRAGUE, CZECH REPULIC & UNKNOWN
  • City: PRAGUE, CZECH REPULIC & UNKNOWN
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics: Science
  • Reuters ID: LVA0046H87XA1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A Czech company has manufactured a civilian drone capable of flying autonomously for over nine hours straight.
    The Model One made by Primoco UAV completed a flight lasting 9.1 hours at Vodochody airport north of Prague in early May.
    The company says this sets the record for the longest flight time of a civilian drone available to the public for purchase.
    "The unmanned model Primoco One 100 achieved a record with a flight time of nine hours. This is because we are using the classic combustion engine instead of electric engines which are used in small drones," Primoco CEO Ladislav Semetkovsky told Reuters.
    The aircraft's principle uses are inspecting oil and gas pipelines, monitoring coastlines and boarders and observing the spread of fires.
    The drone is able to fly autonomously using programmed flight plans. The company says it can operate at temperatures ranging from -30 degrees Celsius to over +40 degrees Celsius and cope with intensive rain and humidity, as well as side winds of more than 40 miles an hour.
    "Our unmanned aircraft enables fully automatic take-off and landing. Thanks to this automation, the flight can last ten hours. The pilot is only there to deal with unexpected situations and check all the systems," Semetkovsky said.
    80 percent of the aircraft's components were developed directly by Primoco UAV using Czech-made parts. The company has already produced 25 planes and is gradually increasing its production capacity to 100 planes a year. The aircraft will be exported into Russia, but also to the Middle East, Africa, South America, China and Australia.
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