US-1 quadcopter crosses Nevada desert without recharging
NewsAugust 21, 2019
SANTA CLARA, Calif. Impossible Aerospace announced that its US-1 "flying battery" quadcopter became the first aircraft of its kind to cross the northern Nevada desert without recharging in repeated 72-minute flights across the playa.
The aircraft used for the flight was an unmodified production US-1, carrying with it both a FLIR Duo Pro R camera and HD video transmitter. The US-1 flew distances of 29 and 21 miles respectively.
The US-1 differs uses propellers instead of wings to fight gravity, which requires more energy per mile but allows the aircraft to hover in place.
According to the company, the flight was planned to avoid operations over people and protected wilderness areas. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR 107.25, with the pilot operating as a passenger of a moving vehicle over a sparsely populated area maintaining visual line of sight to the aircraft.
