A Match Made In Canada
Kondor Model Products,
Ontario, makes model airplanes. Universal Wing Geophysics,
Vancouver, provides competitive and innovative surveys to the
international mining and hydrocarbon exploration industry using
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The two came together when Universal Wing was seeking a Canadian
manufacturer to produce a UAV to perform land surveys.
A board member from the geophysical exploration firm, who
happened to live in Thunder Bay where Kondor is located, made a
visit to the company and met owner Andrew Kondor, asking if he
would be interested in developing a protocol aircraft for the
company, reported the Chronicle-Journal.
Kondor leaped at the opportunity. With his company supplying 35
types of aircraft for hobbyists, the Universal Wing project
presented a very different challenge for Kondor.
Working within specific guidelines, Kondor developed a
remote-controlled vehicle with the ability to fly up to eight hours
with a full tank of fuel, to carry a certain amount of equipment,
and to have the ability to conform to an auto-pilot program.
Requirements also included that the small plane be able to take
off from grass and dirt fields, as well as from water and snow.
Nine months later, and after several modifications, the parties
agreed on a design and the plane was built. A test flight proved
the aircraft worthy and six models were ordered.
Although Kondor won't disclose the price for the planes, he said
each costs about the same as a luxury sports vehicle.
A demonstration of the fiberglass and carbon fiber aircraft in
Thunder Bay just this past Friday demonstrated its capabilities. It
performed perfectly for its test, according to Kondor.
From a distance the plane looks like a typical airplane, however
the craft has a wingspan of 13 feet, weighs 75 pounds, and can
carry a payload of 40 pounds.
The six planes will now be shipped to Universal Wing Geophysics
to undergo the conversion to the auto-pilot system.
Once the design passes another round of testing, it will be
considered an official UAV.
Kondor is anticipating that this project will make available
opportunities for other commercial designs for use in aerial
medical equipment drops, law enforcement, security, search and
rescue, and other ventures for his company.
"The sky's the limit," he said.
Vancouver's Universal Wing Geophysics, established in 2002,
considers itself a pioneer in the civilian commercial use of UAVs
as the preferred method of airborne data collection for the
exploration industry in Canada.
Its mission is to deliver innovative and cost-effective service
for the collection of high-quality aerial magnetic data, with no
pilot risk, to the international mining and hydrocarbon exploration
industry.
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