Unmanned Systems

PLASMA (FALCON) FLYER 1.11 / 6 - 11 kg MTOW

Electrofluidsystems is developing a novel swarm capable high-tech mini UAV with agile flight performance and the ability for high-altitude flights through active flow control and plasma anti/de-icing on wings and propeller. The PLASMA FLYER or SWARM FLYER is made of a laser-sintered, additive manufactured, ultra-strong PEEK structure with a nanomaterial-enhanced prepreg composite hull with honeycomb core structure. This enables high speed, high g-forced starts from ultrashort pneumatic launchers. 

The world's first plasma flow controlled flying wing UAV has an improved performance at flight conditions which usually would stop other drones from flying because of strong crosswind induced flow separation and instability effects. The vehicles durability to crosswinds was increased by more than 60% and is thus higher than for other mini UAVs. The high cruise speed makes the PlasmaFalcon system superior to existing drones.

The 6 - 11 kg PLASMA FALCON 1.11 has a 2 - 4 kg payload volume (>33%), a powerful 1.0 (2.0) kW electric engine for fast (vertical) climbs after launch, a 360° ultrazoom visual systems with six 8K fisheye navigation cameras and one or two ultra light gyro-stabilized long range HD EO/IR cameras. An optional update kit was developed for hand-launched electric VTOL operations. 

A subclass of the PLASMA FALCON 1.11 is the new plasma flow controlled CoronaBat 1.11 which can be delivered from High-Altitude Platforms (HAPS) in a drag reducing swarm formation of 4 to 6 vehicles and glide for many hours when necessary. For this purpose, the new vehicle uses the more powerful 384-core NVIDIA AI computer Jetson Xavier NX with six 220 degree fisheye navigation cameras based on Sony IMX 586 (686/786) image sensors with 48mp (64/108mp) to capture 360 degree videos with ultrazoom function. For ISR mission, Electrofluidsystems selected the world's most advanced mini dual EO-IR stabilized NextVision cameras Colibri 2 and NightHawk2.

Four preserial prototypes for the PLASMA FALCON class are in preparation with cruise speeds of 75-80 mph and a maximum flight endurance of 60-90 min. The maximum take-off-weight is up to 6.6 kg. The high-end version will use a nano carbon graphene skin. The next bigger version PLASMA FALCON 1.66 will use a 800 W fuel cell module from Intelligent Energy and have an extraordinary flight range of up to 330 km. 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

	PLASMAFALCON 1.11 - CoronaBat 1.11	PLASMAFALCON 1.11 / VTOL	H2PLASMAFALCON 1.66 / VTOL
Length:	0.74 m	0.73 m	1.05 m
Wingspan:	1.11 m	1.11 m	1.66 m
Maximum Take-off Weight:	5.6 kg	6.6 kg	13.0 kg
Empty Weight:	2.5 kg	3.5 kg	4.8 kg
Battery Weight:	1.7 kg (2 x LiPo battery with 4s, 11 Ah and 163 Wh)	1.7 kg (2 x LiPo battery with 4s, 11 Ah and 163 Wh)	1.0 kg (1 x LiPo battery with 7s, 6 Ah and 155 Wh)
Fuel Cell System (FSC) Weight:	-	-	2.8 kg  800 W FSC from IE with 2 liters H2 (706 Wh) or 1.5 liters LH2 (1673 Wh)
Payload Weight:	1.4 kg	1.4 kg	4.4 kg
Cruise Speed:	120 - 163 km/h   (75 - 100 mph)	130 - 180 km/h   (80 - 110 mph)	124 - 180 kmh (77 - 110 mph)
Maximum Cruise Speed:	180 km/h	180 km/h	180 km/h
Flight Range:	160 km   (175 km with solar cells)	100 km   (110 km with solar cells)	145 km (H2)  325 km (LH2) (150 km (H2) / 330 km (LH2) with solar cells)
Flight Time:	80 min   (90 min with solar cells)	55 min with 2 min VTOL (60 min with solar cells)	70 min (H2) with 3 min VTOL  160 min (LH2) with 3 min VTOL (75 min (H2) / 165 min (LH2) with solar cells)
Flight Altitude:	0 - 5,500 m	0 - 5,500 m	0 - 5,500 m
Total Energy:	326 Wh (350 Wh with solar cells)	326 Wh (350 Wh with solar cells)	861 Wh (H2) 1,828 Wh (LH2)  (915 Wh (H2) / 1882 Wh (LH2) with solar cells)
Specific Energy:	192 Wh/kg  (LiPo)	192 Wh/kg  (LiPo)	221 Wh/kg  (H2 + LiPo) 469 Wh/kg  (LH2 + LiPo)
VTOL Power:	-	1,150 W	2,590 W
Cruise Power:	190 W	245 W	538 W
First Flight:	2023	2023	2023
Electric Motor:	Brushless (1,025 W) with 12x8 propeller	Brushless (1,025 W) with 12x8 propeller	Brushless (2,960 W) with 14x7 propeller

The CoronaBat UAS uses sliding discharge plasma actuators and generators which were developed by Electrofluidsystems Founder & CEO/CTO Berkant Göksel during his doctoral study. Please see for a poster presented at the 15th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference HTPP15 in Toulouse in 2018. 

With CoronaBat Electrofluidsystems redefines the next generation of swarm-capable, highly maneurable, high-speed mini UAV systems for real-time surveillance assisted by the AES-256 encrypted dual video telemetry system SmartLink Controller from our UK partner Sky-Drones Technologies. The SmartLink system will be also integrated in upcoming PLASMA RAY UAV systems. 

The AI computer-based SWARMPILOT with six navigation cameras and the optional blockchain platform SWARMCHAIN will give us an additional customer benefit for more secure communication and coordination of swarming unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs). Electrofluidsystems secured different names and domains to be prepared for a market entry by mid of 2024. 

Electrofluidsystems CoronaBat 1.11 with its huge payload bay is also a 1:20 (CoronaBat 22.2) and 1:27 scale model for a new generation of flying wing cargo aircrafts with ultra-efficient 550 PS RED AIRCRAFT A03 Diesel engines which can be also modified to work with hydrogen fuel using plasma combustion systems. The standard A03 high-altitude engine with 500 PS can provides 375 PS at 35,000 ft (10,668 m). At 45,000 ft (13,716 m) altitude, the CoronaBat 22.2 needs 460 PS to fly with a speed of 400 km/h. Otto Aviation uses advanced multi-stage turbo chargers and heat exchangers in the Celera 500L to compensate the dramatic power drop at altitudes from 10,668 m to 15,000 m where the standard engine only provides 170 PS (see for the US patent 9,446,835 B2 from William Otto).

The payload bay of both versions can be easily accessed through the front door and in case of the bigger 8,600 kg variant with 30.0 m span can carry different standard cargo containers like LD-1, LD-2 or LD-3 and also different bulk cargo packages on 463L master pallets (HCU-6/E) as shown in the concept visualization above. The CoronaBat 30.0 will have a rear clamshell door to release airdrop pallets. The direct competitors to CoronaBat 22.2 and 30.0 are Cargo UAVs from Sabrewing and especially Natilus which recently announced "$6 Billion in Advance Purchase Commitments to Deliver Autonomous Cargo Aircraft to Customers".

PLASMA (RAY) FLYER 1.11 / 11 - 18 kg MTOW

The stingray-shaped PLASMA RAY is an electric VTOL (eVTOL) UAV with 1.11 m wingspan and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 11 - 18 kg. The deliverable payload weight is 4.0 - 8.2 kg. The near-term vision is to extend the product family to 1.66 m - 3.33 m wingspan until 2025. The AI swarm controller (SWARMPILOT) will enable coordinated flights in half-diamond and full diamond-shaped formations, reducing drag and increasing range by up to 50%.

 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

PLASMARAY 1.11 and H2PLASMARAY 1.11 UAV systems are plasma flow controlled, swarm capable eVTOL demonstrators for a new class of hydrogen fuel-cell powered, hyperfast air taxis with 6.66 m (900 - 1,000 kg), 8.88 m (1,850 - 2,000 kg), 11.1 (3,000 kg), 13.3 m (5,700 kg), 18.0 m (10,500 kg) and 19.9 m (13,500 kg) wingspan.