SBIR-STTR Award

Ever since UAV's emerged as a reliable science instrument, the technology has been used to augment satellites, balloon flights, and provide spatial/resolution data that falls between cost-effective manned flights and satellite data. Only recently has a 10-12 hour UAV been considered reliable enough to move closer to the ultimate goal of UAV's, which is ultra-long duration (month-long or more) sustained flight without any human intervention. Helios, Airbus, Titan, Facebook, and the PUMA UAV's have already helped push the boundaries of ultra-long endurance UAV's, however, focusing on specific power (Wh/kg - the ratio of power, time and mass) may provide NASA with a new solution. Swift Engineering is proposing a solution that is optimized at the subsystem (solar cell, batteries, power management) and at the system level. It utilizes the highest specific power technologies and provides substantial test data to back up power analysis for Phase II. Swift's long heritage developing UAV's, since 2001, with the Bat and now the X-Blade platforms make Swift an unique NASA partner for this technology demonstration. Swift has 15 years of experience to leverage in designing UAV's, solar cell integration, designing solar arrays, designing of power electronics, and testing batteries. This combined with heritage programs will allow Swift to quickly optimize the aircraft for Phase II.

Swift proposes to design, fabricate, and fly a Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE) 30-day mission HALE UAS with flight tests including: 24-hrs, 48-hrs, and 7-days during the Phase 2 timeline. All operations, ground control, safety, reviews, and payload will be included in these test flights and within the proposed 2 year timeframe. Zephyr is the only platform that has achieved HALE flights for over a week (14 days), however, it is based in the UK. No US company has a HALE platform that can confidently sell to the US government/NASA with a confirmed multi-week endurance. Without investment, the US will have to rely on the European-based Airbus/Qinetiq Zephyr solution. Swift's innovation is a UAV designed for at least 30-day endurance (nothing exists like this) mission capabilities; the functionality to station-keep at altitude (50-60 knot cruise speed), the ability to take-off and get to altitude in 1-2 hours, a fully electric system, the ability to store and transport in a 40 ft shipping container, the ease of use (2-3 persons), and a cost and schedule that is aggressive but within Swift's experience and capabilities. Swift will design, fabricate and fly a UAS capable of 30-day endurance with the possibility to exponentially decrease costs and increase data provided to industries. System testing will include multiple subsystem and system on-the-ground tests and flights for 24-hrs, 48-hrs and 7-days will be completed at Yuma Proving Grounds and/or NASA Armstrong. Swift will leverage 15 years of UAV and project management experience with multiple large (50+ ft) structural builds to reduce programmatic risk and meet the aggressive milestones within 2 years.