Edge Autonomy (formerly UAV Factory), a company in the business of making unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has announced its newest model, Penguin C Mk2 VTOL. This unmanned aircraft provides precise vertical takeoff and landing capability for missions in more restricted situations.
In order to increase flight time and improve efficiency during flight, the patented AEROFLOW Boom Technology. The vehicle’s parasitic drag is greatly reduced because of the patented technology’s hoods over the vertical lifting rotors which automatically close when the vehicle is in horizontal flight.
There is no better VTOL option in its class with 12+ hours of flight time. An improved carbon-fiber composite is used to make the VTOL booms lighter and stiffer. It takes less than two minutes to replace the battery, reducing the time between flights. The Penguin C Mk2 VTOL is now classified as a Group 3 UAS with an MTOW of 32 kg / 70.6 lb. with the addition of the booms for VTOL flights.
Convenient, portable, and high-performing
The logistical footprint of the Edge Autonomy Penguin C Mk2 VTOL UAS is among the smallest in its class. Air Vehicles, high-performance EO/IR Gimbals, one GCS, and a MIMO Tracking Antenna make up a complete system. Each component of the system fits neatly into a single Pelican container, making it portable and convenient to set up.
One of the company’s high-performance EO/IR gyro-stabilized payloads is included with the Penguin C Mk2 VTOL. The Epsilon 180 gimbal from Octopus ISR, with its class-leading stabilization of 40 uRad jitters and a cooled MWIR thermal imager with continuous 15x optical zoom and a long-range 90x zoom, 4K daylight camera. This is the most advanced ISR payload that can be included on this unmanned aircraft.
If needed, the company also has smaller EO/IR payloads like the Epsilon 140 series. The fast-swap payload nose cone on the Penguin C Mk2 VTOL allows it to be upgraded in under two minutes. The nose cone is gyro-stabilized in the roll axis, thus any payload the aircraft carries has an additional stability axis.
Over 1000 successful takeoffs and landings in a variety of environmental situations were part of Penguin C Mk2 VTOL’s rigorous flight validation program. Routine takeoffs and landings in winds up to 30 knots (15 m/s) are possible, as can operations in temperatures ranging from -40°C (-40°F) to +50°C (+122°F).
YouTube: Penguin C VTOL Presentation Video
Photo credits: All shown images are owned be Edge Autonomy.
Editorial notice: Update 14th of March 2022 – Based on feedback from Edge Autonomy we updated some figures in the report to match the latest verified data available.
