Usually, battery-powered drones cannot fly for longer than 30 minutes before requiring to be recharged. However, Spanish start-up, Quaternium, has thrown that perception into the bin via its hybrid gasoline/electric drive system drone called Hybrix 2.1, reports newatlas.com.
Back in 2017, the 2.0 model set a world record by remaining aloft for exactly four hours and 40 minutes. This February, an experimental version of the 2.1 model superseded that figure, flying for eight hours and 10 minutes. Now, in recent days, it has broken the record again, by hovering in place for a reported 10 hours and 14 minutes.
Several improvements made this possible, with the most notable being an oversized 16-litre fuel tank slung underneath, and the addition of a fuel-injection system to the drone’s 2-stroke engine. Made by Spanish company Löweheiser, the latter system is reportedly small enough that its inclusion resulted in virtually no weight or performance penalties.
In its off-the-shelf form, the HYBRiX 2.1 weighs 13 kg, can carry up to 10 kg of cargo or accessories, and has a cruising speed of 50 km/h with a top end of 80 km/h .
See the latest record-breaking flight via the video link below.
Watch Video (at bottom of page)
https://newatlas.com/drones/hybrix-hybrid-drone-10-hours/
(News Source: https://newatlas.com
