The new model extends DeltaQuad’s Evo product line into missions where endurance takes priority over payload flexibility. It is available to order for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, border security and communications relay operations.
“Endurance changes what is possible in a mission,” said Ross Jackson, Chief Commercial Officer at DeltaQuad. “More flight time over an area of interest provides operators with greater continuity in the information they receive and reduces the need to rotate systems during a mission.”
The Netherlands-based company developed Evo-LE using feedback from frontline operators and lessons gathered over thousands of operational flight hours. Its electric vertical take-off and landing design allows deployment without a runway, including from confined positions.
“Evo-LE gives defence and security organisations a practical way to extend aerial intelligence missions while retaining the deployment flexibility of electric VTOL.” The platform can be configured with anti-jamming equipment, secure communications and autonomous navigation for operations in complex environments.
Evo-LE has a radio range of up to 120 km, a maximum take-off weight of 13 kg and a payload capacity of 1.5 kg. An automatic landing gear system gives its sensors an unobstructed 360-degree field of view during flight.
The aircraft uses a dual-battery configuration with higher-energy-density battery technology. DeltaQuad also redesigned its electrical architecture and upgraded the VTOL drivetrain to support longer missions.
“Achieving this level of endurance required changes across the platform, not simply increasing battery capacity,” said Mark van Schie, Head of Product at DeltaQuad. “The redesign combines higher-energy-density battery technology with a dual-battery configuration, a redesigned electrical architecture and an upgraded VTOL drivetrain.”
Evo-LE is built around DeltaQuad’s Block 3 airframe, which is shared with the existing Evo model. The ruggedised structure uses revised composite materials and offers improved water-ingress protection and performance in rain.
The aircraft also includes a heated pitot tube and navigation and anti-collision lighting designed to meet regulatory requirements. Its landing legs detach during a hard landing to help protect the airframe.
The standard Evo can use one or two batteries and is configured for broader payload flexibility. Evo-LE uses two batteries as standard and is optimised for customers requiring persistent coverage over longer distances.
DeltaQuad will provide operator training, field support and lifecycle services for the new aircraft. Actual endurance and range will vary with payload selection, mission profile and operating conditions.
