Applied Aeronautics

Last updated

Applied Aeronautics
Company type Private
Industry Aerospace UAV Systems Surveying
Founded2014; Santa Barbara, California
FounderRyan Johnston, Justin Martin, Meg Annand
Headquarters Austin, Texas,
United States
Number of locations
2
Products Unmanned aerial vehicles
BrandsAlbatross UAV
ServicesDrones, Avionics
Website www.appliedaeronautics.com

Applied Aeronautics is a commercial drone manufacturer. Founded in 2014, Applied Aeronautics is headquartered in Austin, Texas. [1] Applied Aeronautics is a manufacturer of affordable drones and drone related accessories for commercial and government customers. Their flagship product is the Albatross, an electric, long-range, fixed wing UAV. [2]

Contents

History

Applied Aeronautics was founded by Ryan Johnston and Justin Martin with the goal of developing a UAV platform that would sit between the two extremes in the unmanned aircraft market: the low cost and high fragility of traditional hobbyist drones on one end, and the high cost of durable, professional drones on the other. Johnston and Martin were joined by Meg Annand in 2015 to lead operations. [3] The company hoped to "swoop into the sweet spot in the middle, creating a useful tool that people could actually buy and use". [4]

When the company launched in 2014, their UAV platform was roughly 1/10 the price of competing systems while carrying a similarly robust feature set. [5]

Albatross UAV

The Albatross is a pusher-prop with an inverted V-tail, a 9.8-foot (3.0 m) wingspan, and a carbon fiber body. It looks a bit like the military RQ-7 Shadow drone but can be purchased for less than US$2,000. There are also options for a ground control station, carrying case, encrypted live HD video link [6] and a number of cameras.

Specs are as follows: [7]

Reception

Applied Aeronautics has drones in over 50 countries and on every continent. [8] The company focuses on the following industries: disaster response, search and rescue, pipeline surveillance, precision agriculture, natural resources, insurance, education, [9] conservation, [10] mining and public safety. The company counts NASA among its globally recognized clients. [11]

In 2019, it was announced the Albatross UAV was in use by the University of El Paso NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Research with the aim of developing the country's first countywide-area operational low-altitude UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system. [12]

Partnerships

In 2022, Applied Aeronautics announced a partnership with Cambium of Mojave, California, to produce high-survivability group 1, 2 and 3 UAS for military and commercial customers. These new drones will offer protection against fire and laser threats. [13]

In 2022, the Albatross UAV was selected by the University of North Dakota, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Kansas University as the test bed for UAS right of way research. This project was sponsored by the FAA as part of the ASSURE program. [14]

Approvals

In 2022, Applied Aeronautics announced that the Albatross UAV was compliant with US NDAA Section 848. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmanned aerial vehicle</span> Aircraft without any human pilot on board

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs were originally developed through the twentieth century for military missions too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for humans, and by the twenty-first, they had become essential assets to most militaries. As control technologies improved and costs fell, their use expanded to many non-military applications. These include aerial photography, precision agriculture, forest fire monitoring, river monitoring, environmental monitoring, policing and surveillance, infrastructure inspections, smuggling, product deliveries, entertainment, and drone racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AeroVironment</span> American unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer

AeroVironment, Inc. is an American defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Paul B. MacCready Jr., a designer of human-powered aircraft, founded the company in 1971. The company is best known for its lightweight human-powered and solar-powered vehicles. The company is the US military's top supplier of small drones —notably the Raven, Switchblade, Wasp and Puma models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foremost, Alberta</span> Village in Alberta, Canada

Foremost is a village in Alberta, Canada. It is located 106 km (66 mi) southwest of Medicine Hat, along the Red Coat Trail, in the County of Forty Mile No. 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosonde Ltd</span> Australian UAV manufacturer

Aerosonde Ltd, now part of Textron Systems Unmanned Systems, is an Australian-based developer and manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles, including the AAI Corporation Aerosonde series. The company has customers in Australia, Asia and North America who use its vehicles for reconnaissance and meteorological applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elbit Hermes 450</span> Israeli military drone, 1998

The Elbit Hermes 450 is an Israeli medium-sized multi-payload unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for tactical long endurance missions. It has an endurance of over 20 hours, with a primary mission of reconnaissance, surveillance and communications relay. Payload options include electro-optical/infrared sensors, communications and electronic intelligence, synthetic-aperture radar/ground-moving target indication, electronic warfare, and hyperspectral sensors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeronautics Defense Systems</span> Israeli defense company

Aeronautics Ltd. is an Israeli company specializing in the manufacturing of Unmanned Aerial Systems for military uses. Since its establishment in 1997, the company has sold its products to more than 20 defense, military and homeland security customers in 15 countries. Its headquarters are in Yavne, Israel.

Abraham Karem is a designer of fixed and rotary-wing unmanned aircraft. He is regarded as the founding father of UAV (drone) technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UMS Skeldar V-200</span> Medium-range Vertical Take Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The UMS Skeldar V-200 is a medium-range VTOL UAV developed by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. The Skeldar can be used for surveillance, intelligence gathering, light cargo transportation, and electronic warfare.

ZALA Aero Group is a Russian company specialising in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development, located in Izhevsk, Russia. ZALA Aero has provided UAV systems for several sectors of the Russian government, including the Ministry of Defence, and has also won contracts to supply UAVs to foreign countries. The company's in-house design and production projects include a variety of systems related to UAV design, manufacture and operation, including autopilots, airframes, mechanical and pneumatic catapults, launchers, payloads and communication technologies. ZALA Aero is the only Russian company producing unmanned helicopters, portable anti-drone EW systems and a VTOL drone.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has adopted the name small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) to describe aircraft systems without a flight crew on board weighing less than 55 pounds. More common names include UAV, drone, remotely piloted vehicle (RPV), remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), and remotely operated aircraft (ROA). These unmanned aircraft flown in the USA's National Airspace System must operate under the rules of a Community Based Organization for recreational purposes or 14 CFR Part 107 for commercial operations. All UAVs weighing more than 250 grams flown for any purpose must be registered with the FAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles</span>

Regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) involves setting safety requirements, outlining regulations for the safe flying of drones, and enforcing action against errant users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial UAS Modernization Act</span>

The Commercial UAS Modernization Act is a bill introduced in the 114th Congress by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Hoeven (R-ND) that would create temporary guidelines for the use of unmanned aircraft systems and regulations for the commercial drone industry. Most commercial use of drones in the U.S. is currently banned by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The drone in a box is an emerging form of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology that uses drones that deploy from and return to self-contained landing “boxes.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resolute Eagle</span>

Resolute Eagle is a long-endurance Group 3 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) manufactured and operated by Resolute ISR, Inc. in Howell MI. The Resolute Eagle is a dynamic platform to meet evolving customer requirements. One platform, two configurations. Configuration can be changed in less than 30 minutes. The Standard Fixed Wing configuration launches on a low-pressure Pneumatic launcher and recovers via a Belly-skid landing utilizing a Kevlar skid plate. The Resolute Eagle Hybrid VTOL utilizes two mounted battery-powered booms with four propellers, so it can take off and land like a helicopter—but still, cruise for long distances like a plane. Resolute Eagle utilizes an Applied Navigation Quattro autopilot to transition from Standard Fixed Wing to VTOL configuration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quantum-Systems</span> German technology company

Quantum-Systems GmbH is a German technology company headquartered in Gilching. Founded in 2015, it specializes in the development, design and production of small Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV), also known as drones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UAVision</span> Portuguese UAV manufacturer

UAVisionAeronautics is a company with more than 18 years of experience in the development of Unmanned aerial vehicles and subsystems. It initially focused on the development and manufacture of autopilots and communication systems. UAvision has provided UAS platforms in four continents operating in the most diverse environments. In addition to an important collaboration with the European Union and the Portuguese Armed Forces, the company is present in international markets, namely Brazil, Nigeria, Angola, South Korea, India, United Arab Emirates and Germany. UAvision has also participated in Exercise REP(MUS) since 2019.

Shield AI is an American aerospace and defense technology company based in San Diego, California. It develops artificial intelligence-powered fighter pilots, drones, and technology for defense operations. Its clients include the United States Special Operations Command, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, US Navy and several international militaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V-BAT</span> Type of aircraft

V-BAT is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle originally developed by Martin UAV, now Shield AI.

References

  1. "Applied Aeronautics - Built In Austin". www.builtinaustin.com. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  2. Smith, Phillip. "Aloft with Applied Aeronautics' Albatross Drone, Interview with Ryan Johnston, Founder" . Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  3. "Applied Aeronautics Announces new Albatross BVLOS aircraft integrated with Iris Automation's Casia DAA solution". sUAS News - The Business of Drones. October 8, 2021.
  4. "Crowdfunded Albatross Could Bring Quality Drones To The Masses". Popular Science. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  5. "Crowdfunded Albatross Could Bring Quality Drones To The Masses". Popular Science. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  6. "Applied Aeronautics Releases Upgraded HD Video Link for UAVs | Unmanned Systems Technology". Unmanned Systems Technology. March 21, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  7. "Introducing the Albatross UAV project". diydrones.com. November 20, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  8. "12 Companies Using AI in Drones | Built In". builtin.com. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  9. "Engineering and Computer Science Students Develop Unmanned Systems Technology | El Paso Herald-Post". elpasoheraldpost.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  10. Scott, Katy. "Drones driven by AI will track illegal fishing in African waters". CNN. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  11. "12 Companies Using AI in Drones | Built In". builtin.com. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  12. "UAS VISION – Page 942 – a global news service for the unmanned aircraft systems community". www.uasvision.com.
  13. Press (July 11, 2022). "Cambium and Applied Aeronautics Partner to Produce Low-Cost, High-Survivability Military & Commercial Drones". sUAS News - The Business of Drones. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  14. "StackPath". www.aviationpros.com. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  15. Ball, Mike (April 29, 2019). "Albatross UAV Achieves Transport Canada Compliance". Unmanned Systems Technology.
  16. Technologies, Vertical (July 10, 2020). "Skyqraft performs BVLOS powerline inspection over a city using VTOL UAVs". DeltaQuad VTOL UAV.
  17. "Albatross UAV : Long Range Drone". Applied Aeronautics.
  18. "NDAA-Compliant Albatross UAV Released". Unmanned Systems Technology. March 1, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.