“Game Changer for the UAV Industry”: FAI Ratifies Vanilla UAV’s 8-Day World Record Flight

HOLLYWOOD, MD – Platform Aerospace is proud to announce that the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)—the World Air Sports Federation—has officially ratified the world flight duration record for the Vanilla Unmanned UAV.

The ratification confirms that the Vanilla UAV completed an unrefuelled, uncrewed flight of 192 hours and 50 minutes. Launched on September 24, 2021, from Edwards Air Force Base in California, the aircraft covered 19,634 km (12,200 miles) over eight days, establishing it as a "game changer for the UAV industry."

A Historic Aviation Milestone According to the FAI ratification data, this achievement stands as the second-longest unrefuelled, non-solar assisted flight in aviation history. It is surpassed only by the piloted Rutan Voyager’s 1986 circumnavigation, which also launched from Edwards Air Force Base.

"This record is remarkable," the FAI stated in their announcement. "It demonstrates a UAV that is capable of multi-mission, beyond visual line of sight operations, which have numerous applications for military and research purposes."

Engineering the Record While the aircraft appeared similar to previous versions, the record-breaking flight was the culmination of massive internal upgrades. Dan Edwards, Flight Test Director at Platform Aerospace, detailed the engineering effort in an interview with the FAI.

"The engineering and fabrication teams at Platform Aerospace made significant upgrades across every sub-system to push Vanilla's performance," Edwards said. He noted that envelope expansion testing increased the maximum takeoff weight by 75 lbs (34 kg), utilizing upgrades to the launching method, propulsion system, flight software, and avionics.

Overcoming the Elements The flight was not without challenges. Edwards described the tension of the launch, watching the aircraft "slowly climb into the smoky air from nearby forest fires."

Managing the aircraft through day and night cycles revealed the tangible effects of the atmosphere. "We started seeing slight variations in the fuel burn for daytime vs nighttime... the diurnal cycle of air movement became tangible," Edwards noted. "It was a roller-coaster of emotions."

Mission Utility Proven Unlike pure endurance demonstrators, the Vanilla UAV carried a functioning communications relay payload throughout the flight. The FAI noted that this flexibility allows Vanilla to "trade fuel mass for heavy-lift payload capacity," capable of carrying camera gimbals, radar pods, and satellite communications simultaneously.

"Vanilla is quite a game-changer for the UAV industry," said Edwards. "Making history at the same airfield that Rutan Voyager set the unrefuelled aircraft endurance record in 1986 is a fitting addition to the history books."

About Platform Aerospace Platform Aerospace is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) based in Hollywood, Maryland, and the owner of the Vanilla Unmanned program. The company appreciates the FAI’s independence in the record verification process.

"We will be hanging up the official certificate in the lobby at headquarters for all to see," the company stated.

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Read the full ratification announcement and technical interview with Flight Test Director Dan Edwards at the FAI website. Read the Full Article on FAI.org.