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Hydrogen-Powered Drone Can Fly For 4 Hours at a Time
stowie writes: The Hycopter uses its frame to store energy in the form of hydrogen instead of air. With less lift power required, its fuel cell turns the hydrogen in its frame into electricity to power its rotors. The drone can fly for four hours at a time and 2.5 hours when carrying a 2.2-pound payload. “By removing the design silos that typically separate the energy storage component from UAV frame development - we opened up a whole new category in the drone market, in-between battery and combustion engine systems,” says CEO Taras Wankewycz.
Please...can we stop using 'drone' unless/until it is actually autonomous? Otherwise, it's just a little RC aircraft.
This particular one is a little RC aircraft with a new, different fuel source.
You're better off using lithium polymer. Flight time depends heavily on the speed of the motors, the weight of the frame and the size of the propellers. Mini quads run for 5-10 minutes while larger quads can run for 20-30 minutes.