Celia Konowe

Portugese-based consortium Flexcraft (Hall 3 Stand C39, AED Cluster Portugal) is showing the latest iteration of its UAV this week at the Paris Air Show. On display is a one-tenth-scale, aerodynamic test model of the modular Flexcraft F-01, a 500-km range, 400-kmph speed, twin-tail boom STOL UAV concept.

 


The mostly carbon fiber and reinforced plastics structured aircraft is hybrid-electric with four electric motors mounted on the high-wing leading edge—two on the wingtips and two just outboard from the cabin, which is in the test and evaluation stage of development. A conventional piston engine is housed within the wing box. The wingspan, which is not currently design-frozen, will be 13 to 15 meters.

 


A full-scale, remotely-piloted version will have an mtow of 3.5 tonnes. The payload is housed in a single, detatchable, multi-modal, six-meter-long pod slung below the wing which can carry up to one tonne. Its pods are designed to carry anything from passengers to sensors to cargo to supplies (beneficial in search and rescue situations). The aircraft can fly with or without the pods attached.

 


Flexcraft's aircraft was born out of the <a href="http://newface.inegi.up.pt/" target="_blank">newFace </a>project’s utility concept, which is intended to push the application of new technology and materials to create a highly versatile, low-noise UAV.

 


The Flexcraft consortium is composed by Almadesign, the Technical University of Lisbon’s Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), the Institute of Mechanic Engineering and Industrial Management (INEGI) at the University of Porto, Simultaneous Engineering Technology S.A. (SETsa), and Embraer Compósitos. It also has a partnership with Embraer S.A.

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.