SKYF Pilotless airfreight platform

The Kazan aircraft designers announced the pilotless airfreight platform of vertical take off and landing which is capable to change perception of applicability of unmanned aerial vehicles in August, 2017. The platform easily adapts in unmanned aerial vehicles of different modifications for the solution of different tasks: from logistics of loads and processing of fields before fire fighting^[1].

At the moment the maximum loading capacity of the platform is 250 kilograms. If the weight of a load does not exceed 50 kilograms, flying range can reach 350 kilometers, and flight duration — eight hours. Such improvement of technical characteristics can quite be considered break in designing of pilotless devices.

In development of the platform engineers went from requirements of the market: they polled the companies of the logistic and agrarian industries and created such airfreight platform which is necessary to the enterprises for the solution of specific objectives. Engineers developed the unique patented aerodynamic scheme, a new mathematical model of management and grouped everything in construction, convenient for operation.

The platform size — 5.2 x 2.2 meters, it is located in a standard cargo container and prepares for flight in 10 minutes. All transactions are completely automated, the flight task is protected by the cryptographic signature and affirms as the central dispatching center. It allows to exclude start of the platform in potentially dangerous zones and the directions. Besides, an autonomous parachute system of rescue of the device together with a load is implemented, the system of flight of obstacles is improved.

Russian pilotless SKYF platform in folded form

The aerodynamic scheme of the platform is based on separation of functions of lifting and steering screws. The internal combustion engine directly rotates big screws of the fixed step and creates lifting force, auxiliary electric managing screws provide orientation of the platform on roving, pitch and a roll. It allows to use engine energy directly without expensive electric circuit of a consecutive hybrid that considerably increases efficiency of the platform in comparison with multikopter, gives it unique technical characteristics and also considerably reduces the price of construction in comparison with the helicopter scheme.

"Further we are going to develop the service direction, license model, a global marketplace of applications and payloads for the device that can become analog App of Store. It will allow the engineering centers to develop and start from around the world modifications of the platform for the solution of the business challenges" — the president of ARDN Technologies company Alexander Timofeev noted

Three modifications of the platform are already developed: the first for processing of fields from air, the second — for logistics of loads in hardly accessible regions and the third — for fire fighting and processing of the woods means of protecting. Today the Russian platform has no competitors among UAVs of vertical take off and landing: at the existing drones loading capacity does not exceed 20 kilograms, and their construction limits further increase. The piloted aircraft which is much more expensive in use can only be an alternative.

The platform is completely Russian development.

2018

Small-lot production of cargo drones

On May 21, 2018 it became known that the Russian company ARDN Technology broadened the production site three times and began preparation for release of a prototype series of cargo SKYF drones. The first drones will be used for tests, including for sending to the first clients who already planned flight tests of devices. According to the results of working off of technology on pilot production, in 2020 in Europe serial production of cargo drones will open.

'We broadened the experienced production site in Kazan and now we can release 3-4 drones a month. The first group of UAVs will be used for tests in different areas — from processing of fields and cargo delivery before fire fighting from air. On it we will work all possible conditions and tasks. It will help to create quicker final construction of the drone — more perfect with which serial production of cargo pilotless airfreight platforms will begin in 2020 in Russia'. Alexander Timofeev, CEO of ARDN Technology

The company increased the areas of design office, office block, and is going to expand staff. For conducting different tests of ARDN Technology opened a flight-test complex nearly one thousand square meters. In it the stands for testing of cargo drones imitating different conditions in which UAVs will be able to work in the future are located.

For May 21, 2018 the drone is capable to lift to 400 kg of payload. For impressive loading capacity foreign media already christened SKYF 'the Russian Hulk'. ARDN Technology already signed a number of provisional agreements about deliveries with the Russian and foreign companies. Among them agrochemical concern Augustus, group of Rusagro, Prodimeks-Holding, AFG National Agro Holding, Slavneft, Pony Express, BU 'Avialesookhrana', Japanese Carciel, Vietnamese port ITC and others. Besides, the company submitted the certification application according to aviation safety rules of the European Union.

2017

The first demonstration flight

On December 21, 2017 in airfield of Karaishevo in Kazan there took place the first demonstration flight of the cargo SKYF P1.2 drone. Flight was watched by customers of the pilotless airfreight platform who in the coming months will begin pilot implementations of SKYF — representatives of Pony Express, Slavneft, Sibur, Transneft and other companies.

The device rose by five-meter height and flew by one hundred meters, despite strong gusty wind. According to developers, flight took place successfully though weather tried to introduce the amendments: at once the device strongly tilted from wind, but was quickly aligned, completed flight on route and safely landed.

SKYF winter demonstration of flights, December, 2017

SKYF is the pilotless aircraft of vertical take-off / landing, with a loading capacity up to 250 kg, flying range to 350 km and flight time till 8 o'clock (at payload in 50 kg). Functional feature of the SKYF platform — the universal modular design allowing to develop specific versions under different problems, climatic conditions and features of national regulation. Due to separation of functions of lifting and managing screws she can use directly energy of the internal combustion engine without expensive electric circuit of a consecutive hybrid that reduces cost value of the device and allows to achieve mass implementation of technologies of use of UAVs of high loading capacity.

SKYF proved the readiness for operation in adverse conditions. Despite wind, flight took place, we are happy with results. And our potential clients had an opportunity to estimate the device in case — Alexander Timofeev, the president of ARDN Technology (a global brand of experimental design bureau of Aviaresheniya) noted.

Plans for implementation of drones by Russian Post

The CEO of SKYF Dmitry Arsentyev at the end of October, 2017 announced joint plans with Russian Post about pilot implementation of cargo drones for delivery of sendings.

We already began negotiations on this question. I think, from the economic point of view it is reasonable — one ruble on one kilometer of transportation of a load in some places can compete even with land transport — Arsentyev emphasized.

Ilya Rodin, the partner of the innovation fund FPI — the main investor of the SKYF project, specified that test deliveries of mailings using the pilotless airfreight SKYF platform will begin not earlier than 2018.

The pilotless airfreight platform of vertical take off and landing of SKYF allows to develop unmanned aerial vehicles of different modifications for the solution of different tasks — from logistics of loads and processing of fields before fire fighting. As of October, 2017, the loading capacity of the platform is up to 250 kg, flying range — up to 350 km (with a loading capacity of 50 kg), flight duration — till 8 o'clock (with a loading capacity of 50 kg).

Robotics

Notes