Screenshot: Quaternium video
On Feb. 3, drone company Quaternium broke its own record for long flight time with a hybrid-fuel electric drone.
The Quaternium HYBRiX UAV took off at 08:52 a.m. in Valencia, Spain, and landed at 17:02 p.m., performing a stationary flight of 490 minutes.
The new endurance record of 8 hours and 10 minutes of non-stop flight time was accomplished with an experimental version of the company’s HYBRiX 2.1 drone, which carries 25 kilograms of maximum take-off weight.
Six years ago, the startup Quaternium developed its first hybrid fuel drone, inspired by hybrid cars from the automotive industry.
In 2015 the company flew its hybrid drone, the multirotor HYBRiX, for 3 hours and 10 minutes. According to the company, Hybrid multirotors multiply flight time more than 10 times compared to electric solutions.
The company has published a flight video with the demonstration of the record.
Most multicopter drones provide flight times of 25 to 40 minutes, with the pilot needing to carry multiple batteries into the field.
The HYBRiX project is supported by the European Union through its Horizon 2020 innovation program, which fosters disruptive projects in innovation, excellent science and industrial leadership. The project has received awards from institutions such as AUVSI, CDTI and the Spanish government.
The Quaternium team was motivated to develop a long-endurance drone because it will help first responders and and firefighters to identify hot spots and search for survivors in the event of a catastrophe, the company said in a press release.