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One of the disadvantages of drones is their low autonomy. The main problem is that to increase autonomy it is necessary to increase the amount of gasoline or the size of the battery, which burdens the device and reduces profits. Some manufacturers have circumvented the obstacle, for example by replacing the rotors with a balloon. The autonomy is thus exceptional, but the device is much less versatile.
Lockheed Martin continues to work on quadcopter drones and has managed to set a new world record for a Group 2 aircraft according to the US Department of Defense classification, that is, from 5 to 25 kilograms. His drone was able to fly 39 hours, 17 minutes and 7 seconds.
A record achieved thanks to an additional propane tank
To achieve this new record, the manufacturer modified a Stalker XVE drone. Basically, it has an autonomy of 8 hours with a solid oxide fuel cell that uses propane as fuel. The device weighs around 20 kilograms and can reach a speed of 93 km/h and a height of 3,658 meters.
In this case, Lockheed Martin added a small propane tank to its wing. The manufacturer has also optimized the device for endurance, but does not provide any information on the modifications made. The company has applied to the International Aeronautical Federation (FAI) for certification of the record.
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