Record for the Italian solar drone Guardian XL: over a day of continuous flight without landing
Record for the Italian solar drone Guardian XL: over a day of continuous flight without landing
An Italian solar drone has set a new record in the field of electric-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. The Guardian XL, developed by Vector Robotics, an aerospace company based in Mogliano Veneto (Treviso), completed a continuous flight lasting 24 hours and 5 minutes, earning the world record in the small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) category with a wingspan of less than three meters.
The test took place recently in the countryside of Treviso province and ended with a result that, according to the company, could have been further improved. At the time of landing, the battery still had about 50% of its remaining capacity, indicating that the aircraft still had enough energy to continue the mission.
The Guardian XL is a fixed-wing drone with a wingspan of 2.96 meters and a takeoff weight of just 3.1 kilograms, achieved through the use of composite materials, advanced fibers, and polymers. Photovoltaic cells are integrated into the wings that power the electric motor, allowing for quiet operation without direct emissions.
According to Andrea Beggio, CEO of Vector Robotics, the result is particularly significant because it was achieved with a smaller platform. "Long-duration flights are already possible with much larger crewless solar aircraft, with wingspans of 20-30 meters, while the real technological challenge was to exceed 24 hours of mission with such a small, light, and much more economical electric drone," he explained.
The company's stated goal is now to further increase operational autonomy. "This world record opens up very interesting prospects: our goal now is to fly the drone continuously and autonomously for days or weeks and, in the near future, even for months. The applications are truly numerous, in both civil and military fields," added Beggio.
The drone can carry a payload of between 200 and 300 grams, sufficient to host cameras, infrared or multispectral sensors, and small radio repeaters. Among the hypothesized application scenarios are monitoring wildfires through long automatic missions over at-risk areas, surveillance of critical infrastructures such as power plants, photovoltaic systems, ports, and logistics centers, as well as applications in the security and defense sectors.
The integration of a radio repeater would also allow the aircraft to serve as a temporary node for restoring communications during emergencies such as earthquakes or floods, providing support to rescue teams engaged in field operations.
The Guardian XL represents the evolution of the previous solar drone, Guardian, developed by Vector Robotics along with the Emilian company NPC Spacemind. The platform is already employed by various local police forces, regional civil protection structures, and some armed forces.
Takeoff occurs via manual launch by a single operator, while the maximum speed reaches 90 km/h. The digital transmission system sends images collected in real-time to the ground, reducing the risk of interference, while integrated memory allows for storing data acquired during the mission.
From an operational standpoint, the drone can work within temperature ranges from -10 °C to +45 °C and with winds up to 30 knots. The control range typically varies between 10 and 30 kilometers, depending on the range of the radio link, but fully autonomous missions could allow the aircraft to cover much greater distances, up to hundreds or thousands of kilometers, without the need for landing.