dave walker ropework in Trawsfynydd, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd

Within the civilian market large UAVs remain scarce and only a few airframes greater than 20Kg have undergone extensive commercial service. UAVE Limited deploys the Prion Mk3 to undertake long duration flights extending to in excess of 1000 kms before landing to refuel. This flight endurance sets aside this UAV platform as a unique offering with proven versatile payload options. We have uniquely focussed our research and development efforts from Prion Mk1 through to the current Prion Mk3 platform to create a large format long endurance vehicle for the civilian market place. The operational debut of the Prion Mk3 was in 2008 at the West Wales Airfield dedicated UAV centre. With an in-flight endurance of 10 hours + and able to cover greater than 1000 Km between refuelling, the Prion Mk3 weighing ~27 Kg is amongst the biggest UAV available to industry. Only military equipment is routinely flown with an endurance profile exceeding that of the Prion Mk3. UAVE Ltd was established in 2013 in order to continue the commercialisation of the Prion Mk3 which during the period 2008 to the present day has seen commercial service flying large format geophysical surveys equipped with a Cesium Vapour Magnetometer payload. Other payloads deployed on the Prion Mk3 include cameras, digital recording PCIMCA memory cards, data transmission, GPS, satellite communications for real time in mission re-tasking of for example a flight plan, and a multitude of smaller systems. The Prion Mk3 is configured for manual piloted or automated take-off and landing in order that both day and night time missions can be undertaken.