The VA001 Flew For Nearly 56 Hours Without Refueling

The FAI has ratified a duration world record for a unique experimental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The VA001, an unmanned aircraft that looks like a glider but is powered by a diesel engine, successfully flew for 55 hours and 56 minutes non-stop and without refueling on December 2, 2016.

The flight took place at New Mexico State University’s Unmanned Air Systems Flight Test Center near Las Cruces International Airport, New Mexico, USA, where the plane, which has a wingspan of 36 feet and is made of carbon fiber, was launched by tow at 0815 local time on November 30, 2016.

Once in the air the VA001 climbed to its cruising altitude of 6,500-7,000 feet AMSL and then flew a figure-8 holding pattern for the remainder of the flight. A typical circuit took 5 minutes and 20 seconds at an average speed of 58 knots.

The VA001 looks like a glider, with long white wings and a short, streamlined body. The engine is mounted at the front, with a single propeller at the back. The total weight of the plane with fuel was 421.7 pounds. During the flight it was carrying a 20 pound payload.

No refuelling was allowed during the flight. The aircraft has two fuel tanks, and is designed to fly non-stop, without re-fueling for more than a week. The record flight was originally planned as a 120-hour mission, but was ended early due to forecast bad weather.
After flying non-stop for nearly two-and-a-half days, the VA001 successfully landed back where it had been launched from. It was then weighed to assess how much fuel it had used. Over the 56 hours it had consumed 9.7 gallons of fuel – an average of 0.173 gallons per hour. It had also covered 3,749 miles, giving it a fuel economy of 386.46 miles per gallon. Remarkably, there was enough fuel left onboard to fly a further 6,213 miles, or 4.5 days.

The VA001 is being developed by Vanilla Aircraft LLC, a private company. The ultimate aim of the VA001 project is for the plane to carry a 30 pound payload for 10 days at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Potential commercial and military applications include surveying and communications.

The world record flight was submitted for a world duration record for combustion-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the 50-500 kg subclass (FAI Class U-1.c Group 1). The record claim was ratified by the FAI on 23 August 2017.

(Image provided by Vanilla Aircraft LLC. Source: FAI news release)

FMI: www.fai.org, www.vanillaaircraft.com