Photo: UAVOS

UAVOS Inc. has performed a series of successful flight trials with High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) ApusDuo, testing its unique control system.

The test flights confirmed that UAVOS’s control system allows aircraft with a large-wing elongation to fly in unstable atmospheric conditions. The ApusDuo aircraft successfully copes with turbulence, actively changing the bend of the wings.

The total flight time of UAVOS solar-powered test aircraft is more than 1,000 hours. Test flights took place at an altitude of up to 62,000 feet (19,000 meters).

UAVOS’s control system does not require the installation of wing mechanization. This reduces the aircraft’s weight by 30% or more, improves reliability and simplifies wing production for lower manufacturing costs.
The ApusDuo drone weighs about 95 lbs (43 kg) and has a wingspan of 49.2 ft. It is launched by a winch. The aircraft is built on the tandem principle, where two of the wings are located one after another with a small elevation difference.

ApusDuo is controlled by changing the geometry of the aircraft. It is designed to linger at an altitude of about 60,000 feet (18,000 m) for months at a time for surveillance or to provide a temporary boost to communications.

Additional test flights are planned for this year, said Aliaksei Stratsilatau, UAVOS CEO and lead developer.

In July, UAVOS became a member of the HAPS Alliance, which aims to accelerate commercial adoption of HAPS technologies.