Five Basic Airframes, 20+ Applications including Defence
UAS developer GRIFF Aviation, headquartered in Alesund, Norway, is to manufacture its heavy-lift drones at its independent US facility at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport near Tampa, FL, according to the company’s CEO Leif Holand.
Typically, drones will carry payloads between 5-80lbs.; GRIFF has already developed a prototype lifting hundreds of pounds and is working on a larger unit capable of lifting a ton. Soon to be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the drones will be built in the US from technology and components supplied from Norway. An initial production rate of six UAS per week can quickly be ramped up to accommodate demand, according to the company.
Flight times of 20-45mins can be stretched to over 60mins with additional battery packs or lower payloads and can be almost indefinite if the UAS is operated in tethered mode. Five basic airframes will form the basis of a family of drones that can be tailored to customer demand. GRIFF Aviation North America is conducting demonstrations at the show.
AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2017 is showcasing the future of innovation across unmanned systems and robotics and www.monch.com brings together key developments from the show. For more information please see MILITARY TECHNOLOGY #5/2017, available at the show; and frequently check back for more NEWS FROM THE FLOOR.
