Latest conservation drone model achieves 100-km flight distance!
Graham Usher, Keeyen Pang (holding the FX79) and Ryan Pang
We are excited to announce that Keeyen Pang, ConservationDrones’ Director for Asia Operations, has just achieved a 100-km long and almost 2-hr endurance autonomous flight in a single mission. What this means is that conservation drones are now able to cover significantly more ground when deployed for forest patrols, wildlife surveys, and land cover mapping, among other applications.
This milestone was achieved using a Zeta Science FX79 airframe with the following configuration:
Zeta Science FX79
Airframe: Zeta Science FX79
Autopilot: 3DRobotics APM 2.6 with external compass and airspeed sensor (3.02 firmware)
Power: 2 pieces 6S 5000 mah battery in parallel
Motor: T motor 3110-470
Propeller: APC 12 x 8
ESC: CC Edge 50 A
Radio system: Futaba 10C radio system
All up weight : 3.4 KG
Keeyen programmed the FX79 to fly 78 loops over a 1.4-km racetrack in his local flying club, thus achieving a total flight distance of 109 km, which took one hour and 57 minutes. The feat is, in fact, more impressive considering that winds were blowing at 10-30 km per hour.
Download actual KMZ file of the flight
Why don’t you try a Cyclops? A recent flight was for 300km and 7+ hours. ATD is also supporting the WCUAVC group and that challenge for anti-poaching.
hi John, we did try the cyclops/techpod platform. While it is great for endurance, we find that we need something with a more generous fuselage space.
Hi. Thanks for the article. Q: would you be kind enough to put together a pix or video tutorial on how your team did this project? Since I’m a total noobie, I’m especially interested in where you got the hardware parts and how you programmed the software to run the mission. My goal is to try to apply this more on the agriculture projects.
Please advise if you can.
Thanks and cheers.
Lisa t lee
I have received a name card in Shanghai Exhibition last time, but it has no email adress, only website on it. He is Keeyen Pang, director of Asia Operation. He is interested in our aircraft. So could you tell hime and send an email to me at sales@skywalkermodel.com? Thank you.
our orgination is intrested to purchase 100 km fly drone
Do you guys find that the FX79 is rugged enough for operations in non-developed areas?
Yes! But it still requires good piloting skills or 100×100 m landing space
What about range? I am curious how one could achieve this range without flying completely autonomously. Also, would telemetry be possible at this distance?
APM has the capability for autonomous flight beyond telemetry connection, although 100km of transect distance can easily be covered while still remaining within telemetry link (if flying a grid for mapping purposes, for instance).