Pipistrel reports the successful first hover flight of the Nuuva V300, a long-range, large-capacity hybrid-electric VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) unmanned aircraft.
This milestone marks an advancement in the development of advanced, sustainable, and versatile unmanned aerial systems (UAS), according to officials with Textron eAviation, which owns Pipistrel.
The Nuuva V300 is designed to carry a 600-pound payload over a range of up to 300 nautical miles and is capable of operating from paved or unimproved surfaces, according to company officials.
The Nuuva V300 is equipped with a zero-emission electric vertical takeoff powertrain and a separate cruise propulsion system, officials added.
The Nuuva V300 is remotely monitored by an operator at a ground control station, developed in cooperation with Textron Systems.
The aircraft, which is equipped with automatic Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight capabilities, will transition from vertical to forward flight on its wings and follow the most recent flight plan until landing, company officials explained. The first vehicle is powered by a fly-by-wire, triple-redundant flight control system supplied by Honeywell, they added.
To support the continued expansion of the aircraft’s flight envelope, a second Nuuva V300 will join the flight program in 2025.
For more information: Pipistrel-Aircraft.com, e-aviation.com
