The Albatross-2.2 from UAVOS.
JetLease, a private aircraft leasing company, signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) at this year’s AUVSI XPONENTIAL meeting in Denver: one with FLYING-CAM and the other with UAVOS.
Through the MoUs, JetLease will provide leasing and financial packages for Albatross-2.2, which is a fixed wing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) from UAVOS based on a Sinus light aircraft manufactured on a large-scale by Pipistrel, as well as a portfolio of leasing solutions for FLYING-CAM’s global customer base. FLYING-CAM introduced its newest UAS, DISCOVERY, during the show.
The Albatross-2.2 project will provide an in-depth analysis of the safe integration of heavy UAS into the global airspace. A deep modernization of Pipistrel will be carried out. For example, the aircraft will be integrated with a UAVOS automatic control system, wings will be modified to carry suspensions for payload and electrical circuitry will be rearranged.
After the modernization program, UAVOS and the aircraft manufacturer will conduct an analysis of the structural strength and finalize operational documentation. The first converted Pipistrel will be tested later this year in the U.S.
SARAH (Special Aerial Response Automatic Helicopter) from FLYING-CAM.
“This really is an exciting extension to our portfolio of aircraft offered, with the Albatross being a logical entry into the fixed wing unmanned world,” JetLease Vice President Katy Glynn said, according to a news release. “We were impressed by the highly innovative track record of this California-based company and their approach to integration of software, design, testing and commissioning of unmanned systems. This is a partnership we are looking forward to developing with a scope for worldwide sales, and developing market understanding of the real benefits of leasing in this dynamic and rapidly evolving sector.”
Offering leasing options gives professionals interested in deploying UAS access to the multiple platforms and payloads they need to obtain the actionable data they’re after, said David Willems, who is the head of business development for UMS Skeldar, a Switzerland-based company that also has partnered with JetLease. Rather than investing in one system, they have the opportunity to use several platforms at a lower cost. They’ll also have access to the newest drone technologies.
“This will really move the industry forward,” Willems said during the show. “The concept isn’t new but it’s certainly new for this industry. It will be disruptive and will shape the way organizations procure equipment in the future.”
