Story ID: 040SpectralSkyAINJune16EditedByAY_NM
Lancair Evolution Fills Drone Flying Role
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Spectral Sky is adapting the Lancair Evolution kitbuilt composite airplane to manned and unmanned UAS operations.
Word Count: 437
Spectral Sky is tapping the capabilities of experimental amateur-built kit airplanes to fill the need for lower-cost manned and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for aerial data collection, real-time reconnaissance and data delivery for commercial and government customers. Spectral Sky is a commercial spin-off of Unmanned Systems, which does contracting on larger government UAS programs.

The aircraft that Spectral Sky is developing is based on a Lancair Evolution pressurized single-engine turboprop. The company’s Lancair-based SS-300M Atlas will offer up to 14 hours of loiter time and a maximum speed of 300 knots.

Spectral Sky recently completed final flight-testing of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135A-powered SS-300M at the Nevada Test and Training Range near Henderson, Nev. Maximum takeoff weight is 4,550 pounds, and in the unmanned configuration the aircraft could carry an additional 200 pounds of payload, according to Spectral Sky CEO Bill Reynolds. Spectral Sky also manufactures the SS-100A UAS, which carries up to 30 pounds payload and last year tested the first commercial UAS installation of Garmin’s GDL 84 datalink, and the SS-200, with payload of up to 125 pounds and 22-hour endurance.

“We leveraged the experience from [the government work] to build three platforms that fill a void. No one is capturing the middle to larger market for UAS that can do good work,” said Reynolds. “We’re using sensors such as datalink. Small UAS can’t carry the weight and the sensors.”

The SS-300M is aimed at markets in infrastructure, maritime, mining, storm damage, wildlife, oil-and-gas production, security, electro-optics and infrared and radar. The primary reason for selecting the Lancair for the program, he said, is that a purpose-built UAS of that size would require years of design and production effort. “This aircraft is easy to modify; I’ve got tons of room and tons of power. I have 300 amps of unused power on that aircraft, and I can add another 150 amps with a second alternator. That’s more than the MQ-9 Reaper has.”

Reynolds aims to have 100 SS-300Ms flying worldwide in the next five years, with initial operations flown by a pilot then optionally piloted flights beginning in 2018.

For maintenance of the Spectral Sky UAS, the company recently selected Robotic Skies to provide customer service, spares and technical support worldwide, as well as a warranty program. Services will be provided by the 100 Robotic Skies service centers. Robotic Skies has already provided design engineering and integration services for the SS-300M. “These are pretty complex machines,” Reynolds said. “We needed a professional group to go to [for maintenance].”