Silent Falcon Unmanned Aircraft System completes first flight

Developer and manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic modules Ascent Solar Technologies Inc ASTI and Silent Falcon UAS Technologies (SFUAS), a developer of small unmanned aircraft systems announced on Tuesday the successful first flights of the production Silent Falcon Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) powered by Ascent Solar’s ultra-lightweight, flexible photovoltaic modules.

The companies said that the patent-pending Silent Falcon is a solar/electric powered, all composite and modular small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) equipped with an interchangeable wing configuration designed for commercial, public safety and defense applications both domestically and internationally.

The Silent Falcon UAS, which was reportedly jointly developed by SFUAS, Bye AEROSPACE, providers of clean energy solutions to the aerospace and defense markets, and Ascent Solar, is a tactical drone designed to be easily deployed, and integrates proprietary, disruptive technology to deliver superior UAS performance.

The combination of efficient aerodynamic design, lightweight composite construction and Ascent’s monolithically integrated and ultra-lightweight thin film photovoltaic modules, enables the 25lb Silent Falcon UAS a remarkable 6 to 12 hour flight endurance, the companies concluded.