ACUASI adds new drones for cargo trials

Two large-payload unmanned aircraft have joined the fleet of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ drone industry development program. They will be used to test cargo deliveries and emergency responses.

The Windracers ULTRA aircraft for the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration arrived in Fairbanks Sept. 22. The first test flight under full ACUASI control occurred Oct. 1 at the program’s Nenana airport hangar. Both ULTRAs are now operational. 

The ACUASI team trained with Windracers operators in Indiana earlier this year.

The twin-engine ULTRA aircraft has a wingspan of 31 feet, a range of about 600 miles, a 200-pound cargo capacity and three cargo drop doors. It can fly from dirt, grass, ice or tarmac.

“We are excited to have these aircraft in our fleet. With their first Alaska test flights completed, we are eager to expose them to more of Alaska’s challenging aviation environment,” ACUASI Director Cathy Cahill said.

ACUASI is a unit of the UAF Geophysical Institute.

“Our goal is to create an environment for the commercial sector in which unmanned aircraft, including cargo aircraft, become ubiquitous in Alaska and enhance aviation safety by keeping pilots from flying during risky conditions,” she said.

ACUASI Chief Pilot Jason Williams said a long-term ACUASI goal has been to assist in making the emergency delivery of cargo by unmanned aircraft possible throughout Alaska.

“This has huge implications during emergency situations like ice dam floods if all the roads are blocked or the airports are untenable and during times of limited visibility when crewed aircraft cannot get to some of the smaller airports,” he said.

“An unmanned aircraft could be launched to take those supplies and either airdrop them or land in zero visibility if the runway has been previously surveyed,” he said.

ACUASI’s purchase is a big moment for Windracers, said Rob Datson, the company’s chief flight operations officer.

“Windracers is proud to support the University of Alaska Fairbanks as they put their Windracers ULTRAs to work conducting missions in one of the world’s most demanding environments,” he said. “The Fairbanks team are truly experts in the use of advanced drone technology, and Windracers values the collaboration on platform integration and operational training.”

ACUASI is supported by the state of Alaska, the University of Alaska system and a variety of grants and contracts. It works with state and federal authorities to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.

ACUASI is one of seven FAA-approved test sites across the nation. It owns a variety of unmanned aircraft and payloads, as well as ground control stations, antennae, generators and accessories. It has the ability to deploy anywhere in the world.