While petrol still dominates the current energy landscape, electric-powered technologies continue to rise as a more cost efficient and eco-friendly energy source. This rise has brought vehicle manufacturers to expand their electric-powered market offering. Though, other than strictly consumer driven, other industries are grabbing on the tail of the far cheaper and maintenance friendly e-revolution.

From fighting pirates to search & rescue

Israel-based Steadicopter, a provider of advanced technologies for unmanned helicopter systems, unveils Black Eagle 25E and Black Eagle 50E - the newest models of its RUAV - now operated with electric motors, and designed for a wide range of law enforcement, maritime, civilian, and covert missions. With a proven track record of military operational capabilities, the new system will further enhance operational flexibility for law enforcement or numerous civilian applications.

The new Black Eagle models shed a lot of excess weight, due to the engine being converted into electric power. Coming in at a platform weight of only 18kg, the new models can now carry heavier payloads for a variety of different missions, as well as having room for additional batteries for longer flight time.

The Black Eagle 25E is designed for weights of up to 25 kg, making it suitable for tactical-urban missions, while meeting the strictest weight and category regulations. The Black Eagle 50E, weighing up to 35 kg, enables the best-in-class flight envelope with a wide range of mission payloads, giving the user the highest level of mission versatility for covert operations.

Founded in 2005, Steadicopter’s helicopter robotic system leaves a zero-logistic footprint, the Black Eagle 25E and 50E are the perfect fit for the ever-important maritime domain, providing solutions to a variety of different maritime applications, including: Infrastructure Security, Exclusive Economic Zone Enforcement, Anti-Piracy & Unauthorized Fishing, Search & Rescue, Offshore Cargo Supply and more.  The small dimensions of the platform within the small-tactical unmanned aerial systems (STUAS) allow for efficient and safe operation.

Powered by electric engines, these models are extremely cost-effective, simple to operate, easy to maintain, and, with no need for fuel storage, both environmentally friendly and safe. They have all the proven capabilities of the gasoline-powered Black Eagle 50, including vertical take-off and landing capability, a robotic observation system for civil, military and HLS missions, and day and night vision. Additionally, they are adaptive to high-altitude flights, thus enabling their deployment in many high-altitude operational scenarios.

According to Noam Lidor, Sales & Marketing Director at Steadicopter, “There is a clear operational need for an electric version of a VTOL aircraft, and the company's three products - the Black Eagle 50, Black Eagle 25E, and Black Eagle 50E - provide an accurate response to the customer's regulatory and operational needs, both strategically and tactically. These electric helicopters are suitable for use in a wide range of military and civilian missions, such as search & rescue, cyber, intelligence, gas & oil rigs, and high-end naval missions. They also provide the perfect solution for service companies who until now have used drones to scan and monitor power lines, for example, enabling them to deliver a higher level of service to their customers.”