Next-generation aviation and automotive company Terrafugia Inc. has created a new unit that thrusts it into the heart of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) activity. Its Commaris brand is wasting no time getting into the game, and has launched its fixed-wing, hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) plane, The Seeker.
Unveiled earlier this month, The Seeker is designed for automated longer-hauls. The fixed-wing VTOL plane gets over three hours out of onboard batteries, and can fly at top speeds of 60 mph. The craft has a fully composite airframe whose 15-foot wingspan can still be assembled or broken down in the field in under three minutes. Its modular design allows for a variety of payloads of up to 10 lbs.
In addition to getting more flight time from its batteries, The Seeker’s powerful yet relatively quiet electric motors allow it to reduce noise output to only 40 decibels on the ground, and attain quasi- silence at an altitude of 500 feet. The fixed-wing,
