To improve our understanding of our customers’ requirements, Elistair’s R&D team recently flew the Orion 2 persistent drone continuously for 50 hours.

The purpose of this flight test was to further investigate the Orion 2’s endurance with a view to continuously improve its capabilities. On this occasion our team took turns onboard our customised operations truck, operating in a field near Lyon (France) for 2 days and 2 nights.

The truck, equipped with its two control screens, allowed for the simultaneous piloting and monitoring of the drone from a comfortable position on the ground, sheltered from the cold night air.

With the recent advancements made in both hardware and autonomous software functions, the Orion 2 persistent tethered drone easily endured the 50 hours of flight without requiring a landing.

The designs, hardware, and electronic components of the Orion and its companion Safe-T 2 tethering station guarantee a continuous flight capacity for the UAV and a permanent power supply to the chosen payload. The Orion’s 100 meter Kevlar-coated micro-tether cable also allows for secure high-speed data transmission between the payload and the GCS.