Russian drone BAS-200 has been tested in extreme cold conditions

Rostec reports that the BAS-200 unmanned aerial vehicle has successfully passed tests beyond the Arctic Circle. This is the first time that such equipment was able to adequately prove itself in the conditions of the Arctic: during a series of tests, the temperature outside dropped to -30 °.


The heavy helicopter-type drone was not just performing demonstration flights. As part of the tests, it became a full-fledged unit in the Russian Post. His regular route began in Salekhard and ended in the village of Labytnangi. Conventional methods of postal delivery in such conditions are ineffective, since the path runs through the Ob River. BAS-200, on the other hand, made up to seven flights a day, it took no more than half an hour to prepare each.

TECH SPECS

The drone belongs to the helicopter type. During the flights, he carried 10-kilogram containers with parcels. And this is far from the limit for him. According to certification documents, it is capable of carrying up to 35 kg of payload. The designers intend to bring this figure to 50. In any case, certificates will have to be updated soon: now the BAS-200 documentation indicates that it can operate at temperatures not lower than -10 °. The drone successfully proved that it is not afraid of even stronger frosts.


The length of the apparatus is 3,9 meters, the height is 1,2. The propellers are driven by a 54 hp rotary piston motor. with., the fuel tank holds 55 liters of gasoline. The speed limit is declared at 160 km / h, in fact, tests above 130 were not carried out. The practical altitude ceiling is 3500 m. Also, the flight range limit has not yet been tested. In theory, it is 430 km, but the unfinished communication line seriously limits this figure.

The main disadvantage of the promising "postman" is the lack of autonomy. It requires constant monitoring by the operator's console.

The future of development

Obviously, the BAS-200 service will not be limited to one delivery of parcels. It can also be used for search and rescue, terrain monitoring and even in agriculture. Even earlier, a geological exploration complex weighing more than 30 kg was able to be adapted to a drone. It may be time for a retest in this area.


After a successful "test drive" mass production can be established at the aircraft factory in Kumertau. Now the developers are faced with the task of localizing the assembly process as much as possible, that is, replacing imported components with domestic ones.