Nuuva V300: Pipistrel's large cargo drone takes off for the first time
The small electric aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel has launched its first unmanned aerial vehicle.
First flight of the Nuuva V300 cargo drone from Pipistrel
(Image: Pipistrel)
Pipistrel's first unmanned aerial vehicle has taken off for the first time: The Nuuva V300 cargo drone from the Slovenian small aircraft manufacturer has passed its first hover test. Nuuva V300 is a cargo drone that can take off and land vertically like a multicopter. It has wings for horizontal flight.
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The drone is powered by nine motors, eight electric and one combustion engine. Six of the electric motors are mounted on the two skids, the other two on the rear wing. They provide lift during take-off and a soft landing. The prototype has successfully completed both, according to Pipistrel.
Propulsion is provided by a combustion engine
The ninth engine is a combustion engine that drives a pusher propeller and thus provides propulsion. This unit was not fitted during the hover test.
Nuuva V300 is designed to transport a good 270 kilograms of freight. The drone is loaded by nose. Up to three Euro pallets fit into its 2.8 cubic meter cargo hold. The manufacturer gives the range as 300 nautical miles – around 555 kilometers –.
The drone is primarily intended as a cargo drone. The parent company Textron sees further applications in commercial and military missions such as search and rescue missions, humanitarian aid and disaster relief. During its missions, the aircraft will fly autonomously, but will be monitored from a control center.
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Nuuva V300 is the first unmanned aerial vehicle from Pipistrel. The Slovenian company, which was acquired by US aircraft manufacturer Textron in 2022, developed the small electric aircraft Velis Elektro. It has been working on the drone since 2020 and a second prototype is due to be available for testing later this year. Pipistrel has not announced when Nuuva V300 will be ready for use.
(wpl)
