Beyond Skyline — High-Altitude Mini UAV Flight
A 1.5-metre-wingspan UAV flown to 10,000 feet above ground level carrying weather monitoring and live video, as preparation for the HALE programme.
Before committing a 21-metre HALE airframe to altitude, the team needed to understand what happens to a small aircraft and its radio links on the way up. Beyond Skyline was that rehearsal.
A mini-UAV with a 1.5-metre wingspan was flown to 10,000 feet above ground level, carrying a weather monitoring payload and a real-time video downlink. The flight validated the telemetry, tracking and streaming chain that would later be used on the HALE aircraft.