Aerotrope have been providing aero-structural design services to Limosaero Limited, most recently design advice and FEA analysis of the spar for a proof-of-concept flying demonstrator.
Limosaero is developing a solar-powered drone capable of extreme flight time and distance, something not achieved to date by existing electric drones of this class. The remotely-piloted aircraft can operate at low to medium altitudes over multiple days. It weighs less than 20 kg, carries a payload of up to 5 kg, and is designed to be quick to deploy and operate in challenging weather conditions. Suggested uses are for wildfire monitoring, rare-earth exploration, and atmospheric sampling.
High-altitude solar-powered drones can only fly in very calm weather conditions, and are large and operationally complex. Satellites are expensive, their imagery can be obscured by clouds, and they cannot be tasked on-demand. Limosaero’s solar-powered drone provides capabilities addressing these market limitations as a stand-alone system, or to work alongside existing technologies.
