Sunbird SB 4 solar drone
French startup Sunbird has an interesting product in its solar assisted glider. A claimed endurance of all day plus three hours into the night.
It is certainly a very elegant offering and in aviation, that tends to be a good thing.
The company has recently been looking for business in South America. Sunbird Managing Director, Laurent Rivière, explains, “Latin American farms are immense, and there is a big need for aerial mapping to assist precision agriculture in these wide open spaces.”
By 2020 the startup hopes to be selling 100 units a year.
SB-4 SPECIFICATIONS
| Weight: | 6.6 lbs (3 kgs) | Flight time: | All day long |
| Wingspan: | 118.11 in (3m) | Nominal cruise speed: | 18.6 mph (8.3 m/s or 30 km/h) |
| Length: | 53.18 in (1.3m) | Radio link range: | Depends on the Ground Station (9.3mi min.) |
| Battery pack: | LiPo 2250 6S 22.2v | Wind resistance: | 24.8 mph (11.1 m/s or 40 km/h) |
| Default payload: | Camera (21Mpx & 4K video) | Ground Sampling Distance (GSD): | Down to 0.79 in (2 cm) per pixel |
| Connectivity: | Wi-Fi®, 3G / 4G & Bluetooth® 4.0 | Type of flight: | Manual or full autonomous |
| Propulsion: | Electric propeller & brushless DC motor | Launch: | By hand |
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