Assembling a SuperVolo
A short video demonstrating the simple assembly of the SuperVolo Platform
GE Aviation Chooses SuperVolo Platform to fly their Airborne Computing Hardware Package
GE Aviation and Hybrid Project team to provide commercial high-endurance vertical takeoff and landing UAV
Auterion and GE Aviation provide comprehensive integration of ground, cloud and airborne components
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA | October 28, 2019
GE Aviation announced a teaming agreement with Hybrid Project to provide a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV designed for high endurance commercial applications at scale. Flight testing will commence in Q4 this year with commercial availability targeted for Q1 2020.
The agreement enables Hybrid Project's 35-pound hybrid-powered SuperVolo VTOL UAV with a full stack airborne computing hardware platform, flight and safety management, and integration from GE Aviation and Auterion. GE Aviation's computing platform enables flight control and airborne computing power at the edge while maintaining an independent and authoritative safety controller. Auterion's Enterprise PX4 operating system resides on the vehicle, in the cloud, and the ground station. This integration is the result of an agreement announced earlier this year between GE Aviation and Auterion to provide all-in-one hardware and software platform for commercial drones.
"The combination of Hybrid Project's SuperVolo airframe, GE Aviation's computing platform, and Auterion's software stack enables an all-in-one solution that readily scales for commercial applications," said Matt Vacanti, product leader, Avionics Systems for GE Aviation. "A highly integrated system is critical to achieving scalable commercial UAV operations."
Hybrid Project's SuperVolo has been designed from the ground up with an emphasis on endurance flight, ease of maintenance, and being modular. The combined system is comprised of technologies and services which have the capability to enable commercial operations in complex environments while meeting regulatory and mission outcomes.
"This collaboration, and the combined solution, will increase commercial operator flexibility, efficiency, and overall performance to a level not previously available in its class," said Ryan Pope, co-founder of Hybrid Project.
Hybrid Project's SuperVolo UAV, Photo: Ben Herndon
Auterion's Enterprise PX4 software is built on top of open software standards that are supported by a global developer community. Auterion's enterprise software also provides the infrastructure enabling online workflows, compliance monitoring, and enterprise fleet management. "With Auterion software, the Hybrid Project SuperVolo flies farther, safer, and more efficiently, unlocking new BVLOS capabilities and missions that were previously not possible before commercial drones of this class were available," stated Kevin Sartori, co-founder of Auterion.
The full solution is designed specifically for commercial operators and service providers. Visit the Hybrid Project booth #937 at the Commercial UAV Expo for an in-person view of the aircraft on October 29 - 30. Pre-orders for SuperVolo configurations are being accepted with deliveries starting in Q1 2020.
About Hybrid Project
Hybrid Project is a VTOL UAV manufacturer specializing in endurance flight and gas/electric hybrid powerplants with a diverse background in machining, aerospace manufacturing, motorsports, commercial aviation, and robotics. Hybrid Project is dedicated to performance, reliability, ease of maintenance in the field and efficiency of manufacturing. For more information visit: www.hybridproject.com
About Auterion
Auterion is the leading open-source operating system for drones. With 50+ employees across offices in Switzerland and California, Auterion has to date raised $10M in venture-backed funding from investors such as Lakestar, Mosaic Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, and Tectonic Ventures. The company's global customer base includes GE Aviation, Impossible Aerospace, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Learn more at: www.auterion.com
About GE Aviation
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, avionics, digital solutions and electrical power systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation, twitter @GEAviation.
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Hybrid Project LLC and Lucint Systems Test Fly Large Area Mapping UAV.
Hybrid Project LLC and Lucint Systems, Inc. are pleased to announce the successful test flying and excellent data gathering capabilities of a HP2 airframe carrying a Lucint12 Vision camera.
Over multiple flights, the aircraft/sensor combination consistently mapped 400 acres (1.6 km²) in roughly 20 minutes, with 1 in (2.5 cm) resolution, while staying under the 400 ft AGL altitude limit in the US. This potent package is capable of mapping 2,000 acres (8 km²) per hour.
The HP2’s VTOL capabilities and hybrid power plant with on-board motor starter and generator allows the aircraft to launch from nearly anywhere and fly up to 6 hours on its 1 gallon fuel tank. Flight batteries are recharged and kept topped off during the flight. Upon landing, the HP2 only needs a quick refuel with regular, pre-mixed gasoline, and it is ready for another mission.
Lucint 12 Vision
The Lucint12 Vision camera accommodates Micro Four Thirds lenses with a wide selection of focal lengths, so higher resolutions, or even more efficient mapping, can be achieved simply by swapping lenses and reprogramming the flight plan. Up to a terabyte of internal storage and built-in image processing allows the camera to manage data from the full five-hour flight endurance of the HP2.
“Our relatively fast UAV works best with a with a camera that can capture images very quickly to prevent blurring, but also lets enough light in to maintain the proper exposure.” said Ryan Pope of Hybrid Project “It also needs the power to rapidly process the images and enough onboard storage to accommodate our 5 hour flight capability. The Lucint12 Vision Camera does this and more. We don’t know of any other UAV company that can offer similar mapping performance for the cost and are excited to see how this package can benefit the industry.”
Lucint Systems will introduce a multispectral single camera unit in 2019, further increasing the mapping capabilities of the HP2.
Both the HP2 UAV and the Lucint12 Vision camera are available for purchase now. Please visit www.hybridproject.com and www.lucintsystems.com for more information or to contact a representative from either company.
Photos by Ben Herndon ( www.benherndon.com )
Introducing Hybrid Project
Hybrid Project LLC is pleased to announce our HP2 Platform, a modular, long endurance VTOL aircraft, including a hybrid gas/electric powerplant with onboard starter and battery charging.
The HP2 requires minimal ground support equipment,
simply add gas and stay aloft for up to 5 hours. There is no need to charge batteries; the proprietary engine management system keeps the flight battery topped-off and ready for vertical takeoffs and landings, as well as supplying energy to power nearly any payload.
Weather Resistant
The HP2 has successfully completed many hours of flight testing in conditions ranging from sub-freezing Idaho winters to the extremely hot and windy, high altitude Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
Key Features:
5 hrs endurance on 1 US Gallon of fuel (actual results under less than ideal weather conditions)
Onboard starter for FWD Propulsion, this inline unit also generates up to 350W of power for charging batteries and supplying power for the payload.
Modularity - The full nose of aircraft can be configured/replaced with any structure that falls within the weight and CG limitations.
Durable, designed for ease of deployment and hard use, configurable for flying in wet and adverse weather conditions.
Engineering, machining, composite layup and final assembly is/are? all done in-house. This ultimately keeps the manufacturing costs very low and allows us
to offer a premium product at very reasonable prices when compared to what is currently available.