A2Z Drone Delivery has launched the Longtail Dual, a new multi-mission commercial drone featuring a dual-battery architecture designed to increase power redundancy and support long-range Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations. The A2Z Longtail Dual drone delivery platform builds on the original Longtail aircraft while adding smart battery management and faster charging capabilities for commercial UAS operations.
According to the company, the aircraft is designed for integration with A2Z AirDocks and can support delivery, Drone as First Responder, surveillance and other autonomous missions.
A2Z Longtail Dual Drone Delivery Adds Battery Redundancy
The Longtail Dual introduces a dual-battery system that allows the aircraft to maintain full control and operation using a single battery if necessary.
Integrated smart battery capabilities include:
- Battery cell temperature monitoring
- Battery cycle tracking
- Built-in cell balancing
- Onboard battery heating
- Automated standby mode
The battery heating system is designed to maintain operating temperatures in cold environments, while standby mode reduces power consumption when the aircraft is waiting for another mission on an A2Z AirDock.
“As drone missions continue to expand to more complex urban and densely populated environments, the Longtail Dual offers an added layer of safety for our aircraft operating DFR, delivery, or other beyond-visual-line-of-sight mission parameters over cities, critical infrastructure, etc.,” said Aaron Zhang, CEO of A2Z Drone Delivery.
“This new dual battery design makes a minimal tradeoff of payload capacity for added operational capability, but with roughly 85% of drone delivery missions carrying payloads under 6 pounds, the Longtail Dual still meets the majority of these payload demands while incorporating the added safety redundancy of a dual battery design, all without exceeding the common 55-pound maximum takeoff weight for commercial UAVs.”
Longtail Dual Targets BVLOS Operations
A2Z Drone Delivery said the aircraft was developed to help customers navigate regulatory risk-assessment processes associated with long-range BVLOS missions.
The company identified applications involving:
- FAA Part 107 waivers
- CMD/Part 135 operator certifications
- EASA Specific Operations Risk Assessment frameworks
The Longtail Dual retains the design, propulsion systems and avionics used by the original A2Z Longtail.
Additional safety and operational features include:
- Motor redundancy through a hexacopter configuration
- Dual-redundant cellular connectivity
- Automatic switching between cellular providers
- Onboard strobe lighting
- Real-time motor performance monitoring
- Optional parachute
- Optional ADS-B In module
- IPX4 weather protection
According to A2Z, the IPX4 rating allows operations to continue through medium rain.
One-to-One Charging Reduces Mission Downtime
The Longtail Dual’s battery architecture supports charging at up to a one-to-one ratio between flight time and charging time when operating with A2Z AirDocks.
“Maximizing operational time aloft is key to building the economics of a commercial drone operation, so we designed our new battery architecture to enable the Longtail Dual to recharge batteries atop our A2Z AirDocks at up to a one-to-one ratio of flight time-to-charge time,” Zhang said.
“This quick charging speed enables our drones to return to duty faster and reduce mission duration as the Longtail Dual moves from dock to dock across our AirDock networks.”
Longtail Dual Cargo Supports Last-Mile Delivery
A2Z offers a factory-integrated Longtail Dual Cargo configuration for delivery missions involving retail packages, food, tools, samples and other payloads.
The configuration includes:
- A2Z RDS2 commercial drone winch
- Downward-facing LiDAR
- Dual fixed FPV cameras
The RDS2 winch can handle payloads weighing up to 11 pounds, or 5 kilograms, and allows delivery and retrieval while the aircraft remains above people and ground obstacles.
With an optional parachute, the company said the Longtail Dual can carry payloads of up to 5.84 pounds, or 2.65 kilograms, while remaining within the common 55-pound maximum takeoff weight.
Patrol Configuration Supports DFR and Surveillance Missions
A2Z also offers the Longtail Dual Patrol configuration for survey, surveillance and DFR operations.
The Patrol version provides a service range of up to 12 miles, or 19 kilometers, and includes:
- 48MP camera with 11x optical zoom
- 48MP wide-angle camera
- 1,200-meter laser rangefinder
- 640 x 512 thermal sensor
- High-power LED spotlight
- High-power megaphone
- A2Z commercial drone winch
The winch can also be used to deliver equipment such as radios and medical supplies to first responders.
A2Z AirDocks Support Regional Autonomous Operations
The Longtail Dual is designed to operate with A2Z AirDocks, allowing aircraft to travel between docking stations while automatically charging batteries and handling package pickup or delivery.
According to A2Z, AirDock networks can be shared by multiple stakeholders conducting different missions within the same region.
Dock configurations can support up to four aircraft simultaneously. The elevated design keeps aircraft away from people, vehicles and ground-level obstacles during charging and mission staging.
A2Z said the docks contain no moving parts, an approach intended to increase reliability and reduce maintenance compared with more complex drone-in-a-box systems.
CloudOS Provides Remote Fleet Management
A2Z CloudOS serves as the ground control station software for the company’s aircraft and docking infrastructure.
Operators can use the system to:
- Create pre-planned mission routes
- Remotely manage commercial drone fleets
- Monitor battery health
- Track winch delivery cycles
- Monitor component lifecycles
- Support predictive maintenance
According to A2Z Drone Delivery, AirDock networks are already deployed internationally for last-mile delivery, aerial surveying, autonomous patrol, search and rescue, and medical delivery missions.
The A2Z Longtail Dual drone delivery platform expands the company’s commercial UAS portfolio with dual-battery redundancy, smart battery management, multi-mission payload configurations and integration with its autonomous AirDock infrastructure.
Source: Press release from A2Z Drone Delivery, Inc.
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