Working with the Alaska Center for UAS Integration (ACUASI), the university will develop best practices for connecting with remote communities.
Cathay Cahill, Director of ACUASI says remote communities rely on air cargo connections, saying: “We need aircraft such as Windracers that can cover long distances, carry the weight of emergency supplies and do so reliably, regularly and safely. Our goal is to create an environment for the commercial sector in which UAVs, including self-flying cargo aircraft, become ubiquitous in Alaska and beyond.”
Simon Muderack, CEO of Windracers added: “Windracers is immensely proud that UAF has chosen ULTRA to meet their need for air cargo delivery services that can reliably fly in difficult weather and at a much lower cost to support very isolated communities with everyday essentials.”
Windracers ULTRA drones have a payload of over 100kg and a range of 1,000km.
They have completed numerous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for missions including troop resupply and aerial reconnaissance in Ukraine, geological and wildlife surveys in Antarctica, parcel deliveries to islands off the Scottish and English coasts and parachute resupply of medical supplies in Africa.