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Brican Flight Systems, NRC to develop advanced UAVs

Brican's versatile unmanned aircraft system, the TD100, was named the fixed wing UAV 'platform of choice' for NRC's Civilian Unmanned Aircraft Systems program (CivUAS), an initiative to develop advanced UAV applications for use over Canadian domestic airspace.

Over the next five years, Brican will team with NRC's top aerospace scientists and engineers from across Canada to address and solve specific technical issues, such as flight safety, sense and avoid technologies, anti-icing, flight operation interfaces and data collection. The TD100 is going through a commercialization program to demonstrate the safety and value of remotely piloted aircraft systems, offering industry the ability to operate in hazardous and remote environments.

CivUAS's mission is to help accelerate the development and improve the adoption of UAVs for civilian use, in Canada and around the world. Brican's TD100, a plane built by Canadians for Canadians, is a top choice for this groundbreaking program.

Beyond what the public has heard about 'flying drones' used by the military, UAVs have enormous potential for commercial use at home. UAVs represent cost-effective solutions for challenges presented by Canada's unique geography, such as inspecting the networks of hundreds of miles of power transmission lines, pipelines and other vital infrastructure that traverse vast stretches of open territory. By outfitting the TD100 with advanced sensors including HD and infra-red video and mega-pixel still frame cameras, the UAV can collect valuable data during automated patrols over remote area assets. From a single ground control station, one pilot can oversee multiple simultaneous UAV flights, as a result of recent advancements in automated flight management systems.

"Our partnership with CivUAS marks a milestone in Canadian aviation history," said Brian McLuckie, president of Brican. 'With the resources and support of the National Research Council behind us we can, together with our sensor partners, refine and qualify aircraft systems to meet commercial flight safety standards and integrate Canadian sensor technologies to meet the needs of organizations who rely on remote data acquisition. Through current advancements and the miniaturization of sensors, these systems operated by professional crews on the ground can do an outstanding job of gathering valuable data while reducing the risks to field personnel and lowering manpower costs."