BCB introduces the Dragon Mk3 D-25
Image courtesy BCB
Consistent with the company policy of CANEI, (Continuous And Never Ending Innovation) we have test flown and confirmed a new heavy lift wing for the Mk3 D-15 to increase payload capacity to 25 kilos. The D-25.
“The D-25 is identical to the long-established highly reliable Mk3 D-15, which has flown many hundreds of hours. The new D-25 with a larger wingspan of 4.65m has delivered on our expectations.
“Waiting in the wings is also a further spial development from our design and engineering teams, to focus on a twin-engine further enhanced D-50 aircraft. This would have a payload capacity of 50 kg and full redundancy across all aircraft systems” explained Philip Slater, MD
In 1999, BCB in Cardiff designed and made its first VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) micro drone and patented Sense and Avoid Technology so UAVs could be safely flown indoors.
Separately, in 2007, UAVE conducted its airworthiness demonstration flight of the Prion MK3 for the CAA. This long-flight endurance fixed-wing drone aircraft has now been operating BVLOS at West Wales Airport and multiple other UK and international locations as a MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) UAV, long-range aircraft; the Prion Mk3 or, for defence clients, the Dragon15 (D-15).
BCB and UAVE, two sovereign-owned, British manufacturing SMEs, joined forces in 2023 to fully engage with UK defence, border and blue light forces and deliver a platform with a global reach of this sovereign strategic capability
The design brief for the D-15 was to ensure that the aircraft should have a capacity of 55 litres of payload space and 15 kilos of payload, be a long-range effector, 1,000 km one-way, and most importantly be able to adapt and fit multiple sensors and payloads/payload agnostic to integrate with future new technologies which become available as required.
To date, this spiral development has now seen over 26 differing payloads, including tracking, laser designators, EW, telecoms rebroadcast and surveying equipment integrated into the D-15 in addition to routine ISTAR capability. All of the aircraft's critical supply components are manufactured in the UK.
