VALENCIA, Calif. – As companies continue to look for drones that can perform handle more commercial or industrial tasks, flight time becomes a big concern. TerraView, a California-based developer of aerial technology, recently debuted the RangePro X8, an industrial unmanned aerial vehicle designed to fly for more than 70 minutes in real-world conditions with a standard sensor payload.

Engineered and made in the U.S., the company said the RangePro X8 was designed specifically for industrial, first response, and governmental enterprise data capture. Additional markets include energy, agriculture, construction and mining.

“We’re extremely excited about the RangePro X8’s record-breaking flight time and data capture capabilities, which make this drone the highest performing in its class,” said Bruce Myers, president of TerraView. “The RangePro X8 is a game changer that employs military-grade technology to make drone missions more efficient and effective. The product will instantly elevate business’ capabilities, perspective, and competitive advantage.”

Design and battery efficiencies

TerraView said the drone achieves longer flight times due to its design coupled with higher capacity batteries, which gives the RangePro X8 flights that last about 2.5x longer than other drones. This lets users accomplish more work with fewer batteries and less time spent on battery swaps and maintenance. Each battery can support more than 50 charging cycles over its lifespan, the company added. In addition, the drone can work with either the A3 or Pixhawk flight control systems.

“We know that UAV customers are first and foremost concerned with the safety, durability and the ROI of their investment,” said Myers. “That’s why we are so proud that the RangePro X8 not only has a longer flight time than the competition, but is also engineered with the highest quality materials and built to mil-spec standards.”

The drone supports many different data capture capabilities, including:

• Volumetric studies;
• Thermal imaging;
• Structural integrity surveys;
• Terrain mapping and modeling;
• Construction site planning
• Solar panel, pipeline, tower, and power line inspections.

Additional features of the RangePro X8 include:

• IP43 ingress protection;
• A maximum speed of 90 kilometers/hour (56 mph) with a 3:1 lift/weight ratio;
• 360-degree anti-collision beacons, rated for three miles in low light;
• A light weight that allows to have it fold up and fit into a backpack;
• Highly stable flight in high-wind conditions;
• Propulsion and power redundancy.

The system supports swappable payload gimbal mounts, capable of carrying the following sensors:

• Zenmuse X3, XT Thermal, XT2 Dual Cam, Z3, Z30 (on the A3 Flight System)
• Micasense Red Edge (A3 Flight System)
• Viewpro Q10F, Z30F, Q30T, Z40K, Mini Z10TIR (on the Pixhawk System)
• FLIR Duo Pro (on both systems)
• LIDAR (on both systems)

More details about the RangePro X8 can be found on TerraView’s website.