Photo: Airbus Helicopters
AIRBUS: EXTENDING REACH WITH DRONES
Known for its wide range of multi-mission crewed rotorcraft, Airbus Helicopters has developed a suite of light tactical drones (aka: uncrewed aerial systems or UAS) that can be used for firefighting. For instance, the company’s Aliaca drone can fly up to six hours with a 6.6-pound (3-kilogram) payload, while the Flexrotor can fly for more than 12-14 hours with a maximum payload of 17.6 pounds (8 kilograms). Meanwhile, Airbus’ Capa-X drone can carry a payload up to 44 pounds (20 kilograms) and can fly for 10 hours. The VSR700, which is based on the Guimbal Cabri G2 two-seater helicopter, has an eight-hour flight time and can carry a payload of 550 pounds (250 kilograms).
“All of our UAS can be equipped with ISR sensors, which make them very valuable to detect and monitor wildfires,” said Victor Gerin-Roze, Airbus Helicopters’ head of UAS. “The UAS can be used to locate and monitor a fire, providing long-endurance surveillance. It provides firefighters with the most up-to-date
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information, which is essential when fighting a fast evolving fire.”
Beyond imaging, Airbus’ drones can carry critical communication payloads, thus serving as radio relays or mobile cell- phone towers to bridge coverage gaps in remote terrain. “Looking forward, we even envision them serving as aerial ignition devices for controlled burn operations,” Gerin-Roze told Rotor Pro. “The VSR700 can also be used for logistics missions typically carrying firefighting material to the responders on the ground.”
permanganate. The IGNIS dispenser injects each Dragon Egg with antifreeze (ethylene glycol) just before release. This creates a chemical reaction that causes the sphere to burst into flames seconds after it hits the ground. “These small fires grow together to burn away brush and trees in a controlled manner, creating a barrier that stops an approaching wildfire,” said Dan Justa, Drone Amplified’s VP of business development. “Firefighters use it to drop a fireline for backburns and to provide overhead situational awareness with thermal cameras. Some of our users even use it to make thermal maps for hotspot tracking.”
DRONE AMPLIFIED: FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE
Drone Amplified makes drone-based tools for public safety, mainly in the fire and avalanche spaces. The company’s IGNIS is an aerial ignition payload that allows firefighters to conduct prescribed burns and “backburns” (fighting fire with fire) safely from the air. It does this by dispensing hundreds of small, ping-pong-ball-sized chemical spheres (“Dragon Eggs”) filled with potassium
Because wildfires and prescriptive burns take place in areas with little-to-no cell coverage, Drone Amplified has designed its drone-based systems to be usable off-grid with point-to-point radios and no cloud connectivity required. “In addition, new technologies like Starlink are being leveraged pretty heavily for those instances where the internet is required,” Justa said.
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