UK drone technology provider uVue says it is ushering in a new era for drone technology services in the UK by taking the delivery of what is believed to be the world’s first ever production hydrogen drone – the MMC HyDrone 1550. As uVue reported late last year, the HyDrone 1550, designed and manufactured by MicroMultiCopter (MMC), is a huge breakthrough for the drone services industry. A world first, the hydrogen-powered cell technology driving the HyDrone 1550 emergent is environmentally clean and contributes to supreme flight performance.
This is a gamechanger for commercial drones. With actualization of the highly efficient hydrogen energy, the drone industry will undergo radical changes. The advantages being claimed are-longer flight time, environment friendly, expansive area coverage, wide range of applications, highly reliable structure and system, fast refueling and integrated design.
Its carbon fiber air frame is lightweight and robust. The hydrogen-powered drone is rainproof, dustproof and windproof. It can work in varying environment ranging from tough weather conditions to complicated surroundings. Its dust-proof propulsion systems simplify maintenance and active cooling motors ensure that operation is reliable for extended periods of time. As hydrogen fuel is not affected by low temperatures, a new set of applications will emerge. Equipped with an MMC RC flight controller, built-in independent GPS positioning device, signal loss protection, and power redundancy, the hydrogen fuel cell drone can fly very stably. Even if one propeller malfunctions during a flight, it poses no threat to safe landing. Besides, the functions of distant image transmission, over-the-horizon remote control, precise positioning and navigation make the drone a practical tool rather than a recreational drone.
“After extensive research into drone technology and potential solutions, we are delighted to be the first company to have been appointed to distribute and license this incredible machine in the UK. Aside from its robust performance, I am particularly impressed by the endurance of the MMC HyDrone1550 – up to 3 hours flight time with a 2kg payload – making this a genuine game changer in our industry. The endurance of this particular HyDrone is so strong that it offers a real alternative to full-sized rotary aircraft,” Russ Delaney, director of Tech Ops at uVue, an ex-British Army helicopter instructor and drone pilot with 20+ years’ experience with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) said. The key focus for uVue during the introduction of the HyDrone 1550 is that high safety standards required to operate the drone safely within the UK commercial drone airspace are met, while also remaining within the regulations set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
With MMC’s HyDrone 1550 professional drone, the responding time towards emergencies is much shorter while effective coverage area quite larger. The HyDrone 1550 is not only used in surveying but also in power line inspection, oil inspection, forestry firefighting and monitoring, and so on. It is expected the MMC HyDrone 1550 will be used this summer to help farmers determine site-specific crop spraying which will enable them to cut back on the use of nitrates.