Port St. Joe-Wewahitchka, Florida and Auburn, Alabama, Oct. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UAV Corp’s (OTC Pink: UMAV), Skyborne Technology (STI), Research in Flight (RIF) as Prime contractor, Auburn University and Gulf Coast State College have successfully flown the prototype DATT MA 600 (Detachable Airship from a Tether Technology) Hybrid Electric Extended Range Airship under the 1St Phase of the Air Force AFWERX (the electric prototype airship of the U.S. Airforce AFWERX program prototype) contract.
With support of AFWERX, a United States Air Force program, the four partners are now ready to manufacture the 250-foot airship and test a detachable airship from a tether (DATT) as a cylinder shape aerial platform with new aerodynamic properties for extended flight. Based on the new designs and capabilities, the technology is expandable with its modular components to achieve multiple altitudes. The DATT 600 airship is designed for a 15,000-to-20,000-foot altitude. The technology can be developed to reach near space.
UMAV owns and operates the airport serving the Port St Joe area and has plans to expand our airship/UAS operations to create an additional business model(s) for the company. Currently, UAV Corp. has started the design process to utilize our DATT 600 to be modified to fly to near space altitudes up to 100,000 feet. This will allow us to take civilian passengers on the unique safe experience of space travel at an affordable cost. Our first stage is to continue and to complete the testing of our prototype DATT 600 airship and start the expansion process at our airship/UAV operations at our airport in partnership with Gulf County.
Jim McKnight quote “We are more than excited by the news of the successful test flights of the prototype DATT MA 600, Gulf County became engaged in the project early on by leasing County’s Industrial building to the UAV/Skyborne for their fabrication facility and have followed the obtaining grant funds for the roads and utilities to their proposed hangar at their Costin Airport.” “This news give impetus to their need for the hangar, and we are pleased to report we are in discussion with Space Florida to assist them with financing.”
“At Research in Flight, we are pleased to partner with Skyborne Technology and others to develop paradigm shifting airship technologies, which will lead to both DATT operation, and to an ultra-high-altitude capability.” stated Dr. Roy Hartfield
“We are excited to have had successful test flights of the prototype airship as the team looks forward to the build of the full scale 250-foot DATT MA 600 airship slated for delivery in early 2023 with its remotely piloted capability and a seven (7) drone launch and recovery system. With the new modular designs with advanced composites and propulsion, near space at altitudes up to 100,000 feet are not out of the question." stated Michael Lawson, CEO of STI.
“The novel airship capabilities being developed and operationalized by Skyborne Technology and their partners provide a unique and robust set of observation, communication, and data collection tools for Gulf Coast, as we equip and implement Team Tempest,” said Dr. John Holdnak, President of Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida.
“After the successful control systems test, we flew our prototype DATT 600 airship completing the 1st Phase of our Air Force contract, proving the initial designs for our next generation airship. Our success with the Air Force project and the yet untapped near space opportunities creates a new and exciting direction for our company,” stated Billy Robinson Chairman of UAV Corp.
About Research in Flight
The company was established with the aim of developing new aerodynamic analysis tools for aerospace engineering applications. The nucleus of this startup is the FlightStream® numerical flow solver that allows for rapid analysis of flow results over advanced geometries. Research in Flight engages in a diversity of design activities including engineering support for aircraft, airships, Urban Air Mobility vehicles, and Distributed Electric Propulsion platforms.
Contact: Roy Hartfield (roy.hartfield@researchinflight.com)
Website: www.researchinflight.com
About Auburn University
The Vehicle Systems, Dynamics, and Design Laboratory (VSDDL), part of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University, focuses on sizing, performance analysis, and flight simulation of novel aircraft concepts. The lab has developed a vehicle sizing and mission analysis framework applicable to fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and buoyant vehicles as well as multiple cockpit flight simulators for performing piloted simulations of novel aircraft and flight control architectures.
Contact: Imon Chakraborty (imonchakraborty@auburn.edu)
Website: www.vsddl.com
About UAV Corp
UAV Corp (UMAV) is a Research and Development holding company with a focus on Communication Aerospace and Environmental Solutions. Researchers at UAV Corp are actively engaged in solving transformative problems for the government and commercial clients. We are working on a wide range of topics including but not limited to advanced communication, Airship and Drone Technology and low altitude analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion, new energy processes, biomass conversion, energy efficiency crop and mining management.
About Skyborne Technology, Inc.
Skyborne Technology, Inc. has significant investments in research & development of Intellectual Property and proprietary designs in areas covering semi-rigid and rigid airship design, reverse-ballonet technology, mooring and hybrid propulsion that have competitive advantages for both its Spherical and Cylinder Class tether/airship designs. Skyborne Technology has a manufacturing facility in Wewahitchka, Florida and owns the airport in Port St. Joe, Florida for manned and unmanned operations.
About Gulf Coast State College
Gulf Coast and its surrounding communities experience Category 5 Hurricane Michael in October, 2018 - the 3rd most powerful storm to ever hit the Continental United States. In response to the harsh lessons learned during and after hurricane landfall, the college began developing Team Tempest - a regional emergency/disaster response team focused on the utilization of unmanned aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial vehicle systems to aid local governmental and law enforcement agencies in their planning for and response to natural and man-made emergencies. These capabilities, in conjunction with other emergency management programs and training activities being developed by the college and its partners, will ensure those we serve and those we train are prepared and able to respond to whatever comes next.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:
This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable US securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals, where applicable and the state of the capital markets. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Contact:
UAV Corp
OTC Pink: UMAV
Billy Robinson, Chairman
504-722-7402
brobinson@uavcorp.net
www.uavcorp.net
Deborah Cheek, Communications Director
850-588-1747
dcheek@uavcorp.net
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