Steadicopter has unveiled the Black Eagle 50H, which it says is the first hybrid-powered unmanned helicopter. It becomes the latest model in its RUAV family, designed for a wide range of law enforcement, maritime, civilian and covert missions.

With a maximum takeoff weight of 50 kg, the Black Eagle 50H can carry multiple large payloads or relatively smaller payloads, and is capable of up to five hours of flight time, which represents high endurance when compared to other VTOL platforms in its class. This enables high performance and maximum operational flexibility for both security forces and civilian applications, such as search and rescue, cyber, intelligence, offshore rigs, and high-end naval missions.

Featuring a hybrid engine and propulsion system, the Black Eagle 50H combines the best of the electric 50E and the gas-powered 50 variants in a platform that is extremely cost-effective, simple to operate, easy to maintain, environmentally friendly, and safe. The helicopter has all the proven capabilities of the highly energy-efficient gasoline-powered Black Eagle 50, including vertical take-off and landing, long hover durations, and leading mission sensor suites for all mission scenarios, whether day or night. In addition, like the Black Eagle 50E, it offers excellent reliability and is extremely adaptive to high-altitude flights, thanks to the electric propulsion segment which is less affected by the ambient air pressure, making it deployable in many high-altitude operational scenarios.

For enhanced mission versatility, the hybrid platform also enables operators to select power by generator while enroute, switching to the quieter direct battery power during the mission itself, enabling maximum covertness.

"The Black Eagle 50H is a true multi-domain, multi-mission and multi-sensor system, coupled with all the benefits of a covert, easy-to-maintain, highly-versatile electric-powered system," says Noam Lidor, VP Sales, Marketing & Business Development at Steadicopter. "Its ability to carry advanced payloads and its capability for extended time in the air ensure both mission success and flexibility."