February 26, 2023
The new Hy5000 drone manages to stay 4.5 times longer compared to battery-based drones, carries heavy weight and reaches a height of up to 5,000 meters. The next step: developing an air taxi in the form of a large drone
In the photo above: the H2 drone of the Hydrones company. Carrying useful cargo weighing up to 10 kg
Hydrones Company from Haifa (HyDrones) announced a ground-breaking drone based on hydrogen fuel cells, which is capable of carrying a load weighing up to 25 kg, staying in the air for 145 minutes and reaching a flight speed of up to 90 km/h, the company’s CEO, Dudu Farfarfa, told Techtime that this is a world breakthrough in the performance of a starboard drone. “We have successfully completed the flight tests of the Hy5000 drone, which manages to stay 4.5 times longer compared to battery-based drones, and reaches a height of up to 5,000 meters, so it is impossible to distinguish it from the ground.”
Hydrones was established in 2022 by the CEO Farfra, who came from the security system in the past and gained about 17 years of experience in the field of drone technologies. The company’s chief technologist is Nir Granot. In the new format, it has developed three electric drones based on batteries, which are sold to the defense industries in Israel. They are designed to work in different scenarios and carry a useful load of 5 kg, 10 kg and 25 kg. Last month alone, it delivered 50 electric drones to its customers.
Next step: flying taxi
The company has developed engine control technology that allows its drone to reach very high speeds, up to 110 km/h. In addition, all platforms manufactured by it meet the requirements of the IP-67 standard for meeting harsh environmental conditions, including moisture and dust. The company produces the structure and the control software, and performs the assembly and integration. Dudu Farfra said that the development of the Hy-5000 starboard glider was done in collaboration with an Austrian company and a French company that helped in the development of the fuel cells that provide energy with a power of 5.5kW.
The Technion laboratories in Haifa assist in characterizing the fuel cells and their power consumption. The company is currently also developing a hydrogen-powered flying taxi based on the concept of a large drone. According to Farfra, “Our starboard drone changes the rules of the game in the drone industry. Its ability to carry heavy loads over long periods of time and at high speeds opens up new possibilities in a wide variety of applications, including new solutions in the field of transportation.”
Published in the categories: news, drones, aviation and security
Posted in tags: HyDrones
