UAVOS successfully test-flies ApusDuo HAPS prototype.

UAVOS Inc. has successfully completed the first stage of the flight tests of the 10-meter prototype of the High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) ApusDuo, which was manufactured as part of the development program of ApusDuo solar aircraft with a wing span of 28m, the US company said on October 11, 2018.

UAVOS' ApusDuo HAPS prototype taking to the skies for the first time
(Credit: UAVOS)

That prototype was made for testing control algorithms, including take-off and landing, full-scale verification of HAPS aerodynamics. Test flights fully confirmed the flight characteristics of the UAV.

Once developed, the ApusDuo HAPS will be used for a wide range of tasks, such as video surveillance and monitoring ; Drone communications system; Broadband coverage ; Frequency Jamming ; Radio link range extension and retransmission ; Target designation; or R&D flying laboratory.

"Our innovative autopilot solution controls the flexible wing by analyzing the extended aspect ratio of the wing’s deformation and adjusting the lift punctually."

His type of control allows for an equal distribution of the structural load all over the wing and reduces the weight by effectively controlling the aircraft in all flight modes," says UAVOS on its website.

According to UAVOS, the ApusDuo will have a MTOW of 23kg. The drone will be able to perform flights at an altitude of up to 65,600ft (20000m). ApusDuo atmospheric satellite is intended for long-term monitoring at various latitudes around the globe, and also serve as a telecommunication hub. It will carry a 2kg payload with an endurance of 365 days at a latitude of 20°

(Credit: UAVOS)