An aerospace company, Skydweller Aero Inc., the developer of solar-powered aircraft for defense and commercial industries, recently announced that it has successfully completed a demonstration of its initial autonomous flight test using its new proprietary fly-by-wire (FWB) actuation control system. After meeting the criteria for safety-critical operations set by the Spanish Civil Airworthiness Authority (AESA), Skydweller's test pilot passively rode along on board. It validates both the successful change from mechanical to human-rated FBW actuation and the successful integration of full authority autonomous control capability.
The first validation of the aircraft's mechanical transformation from a piloted vehicle to a redundant FBW system flown from take-off to landing without any pilot input was concluded with a series of flight tests. The system shows the basis and airworthiness approval for the high-reliability redundant flight control architecture. This considerably reduces the remaining technical risk and speeds up Skydweller's time to market.
Redundancy in the aircraft's autonomous Vehicle Management System (VMS) is made possible by its distinctive technical characteristics and design implementation, allowing it to provide unprecedented utility considering its payload capacity and available power. Various levels of redundancy will enable customers to launch multi-month missions, which will transform the operations of commercial and government operators. Skydweller is now focused on the development of fully autonomous and unmanned flight by demonstrating payloads using the company's developed technology.
About Skydweller Aero Inc.
Based in Oklahoma City (Oklahoma).
Skydweller Aero Inc. is a US- Spanish aerospace company. It develops solar-powered aircraft solutions for both commercial and defense use. The solutions designed can achieve perpetual flight with the highest and most meaningful payload capacity. Using technology from the most extended continuous solar-powered flight program in history, our fast-growing startup is making a new class of unmanned aircraft with the durability of geosynchronous satellites and the powerful sensing capabilities and range of a large airborne platform. With a flexible payload system that includes a communications relay, 4G/5G cellular, day/night full-motion satellite communication, video, imaging radar, and more, Skydweller will improve commercial and government communications, meteorological, geospatial, and emergency operations around the world. This will allow customers to work in more complex areas for more extended periods while reducing their environmental impact.