Zenith AeroTech showcases tethered aerial vehicle for first time

Zenith AeroTech, a Virginia-based company provider of heavy-lift tethered aerial vehicles (TAVs), will exhibit its Quad 8 TAV and Ground Power Unit for the first time at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC), held May 17-19 in Tampa, Florida.

The Quad 8 drone is described as a long-endurance vehicle that can offer a flight time of over 100 hours. It is a versatile, user-friendly quadcopter with two motors and propellers on each of its four arms. The redundant propulsion systems mean that the unit can safely land even after the unlikely loss of 2 motors. Quad 8 is extremely flexible in its payload and able to fly a combination of cameras, other sensors, and illumination panels.

The Quad 8 weighs 24 lb (10.8 kg), measures 46 in. x 46 in. x 23 in. when deployed and can carry a payload of up to 20 pounds. This allows the platform to use a wide range of equipment, including combined electro-optical/infrared cameras, LIDAR, synthetic aperture radar, scanning radar,…