Vanilla Aircraft UAS Flies More Than Five Days

Weighing just 475 lb. when it took off, Vanilla Aircraft’s VA001 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) landed back at NASA Wallops Flight Facility on the Virginia coast on Oct. 23 after staying aloft for... http://aviationweek.com/awincommercial/vanilla-aircraft-uas-flies-more-five-days



From Vanilla Aircraft's web:


Powered by an efficient heavy-fuel engine, the VA001 completed first flight in Feburary 2015, flying autonomously in the national airspace. Additional flight tests have provided validation of the VA001 design and performance projections. In operation, the VA001's unmatched range and 10-day endurance will greatly reduce the operating cost and manpower burden to provide persistent aerial coverage, and will enable new missions previously beyond the capabilities of mid-size UAS. The VA001 is ready for operational demonstrations. Further payload integration is currently underway with Vanilla's customers, and flights are scheduled in 2017 to continue expanding the aircraft's full payload, endurance and altitude capabilities.


Photos and videos: http://www.vanillaaircraft.com/VA001.html