Flamingo Mk3

Around the world, commercial and military operations are recognising the benefits of autonomous aircraft.

The Flamingo Mk3 is delivering high-value solutions in asset monitoring, agriculture and agribusiness, emergency services, energy supply, research and military operations. A fixed wing aerial vehicle, with a typical take-off weight of 25kg, it is capable of carrying large payloads and completing multiple tasks in one mission.

For  autonomous and long-endurance missions, the Flamingo Mk3 is hard to beat - providing an efficient and cost-effective means to access large, remote or dangerous areas of land for surveillance, intelligence gathering, site or equipment monitoring, surveying, security and safety. 

 

What sets the Flamingo Mk3 apart?

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PAYLOAD POTENTIAL

The Flamingo Mk3 offers class-leading payload capacity of up to 7.5kg (traded with fuel capacity), and the flexibility to integrate a variety of custom payloads, while allowing rapid reconfiguration between missions.

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COST EFFECTIVE

It costs less to buy and less to run than manned aircraft or other UAVs in terms of fuel (vs battery), transportation, wages (for operation), and parts and maintenance.

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DEPENDABLE ENDURANCE

With a Corvid 29 EFI 2 stroke Engine and our autonomous systems, this RPAS is built for reliable, repetitious, long-endurance flying. Up to 8 hours of flying time, including reserves, ensures a more reliable and efficient mission. We also offer optional custom fuel tanks to extend endurance by another 3 hours.

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CUSTOM BUILD

A refinement of our ground-breaking Flamingo technology, each Mk3 is built using a quality controlled process ensuring compatibility across platforms with the configuration designed and integrated to individual needs

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STRONG, RELIABLE, REPEATABLE

Captured design with repeatable manufacturing process for compatibility across platforms. Using composite materials to keep the weight down, whilst maintaining strength and rigidity

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BETTER LOGISTICS

The Flamingo Mk3 means a smaller logistical footprint – it is lightweight and easy to transport and simple to set up, with a full suite of maintainance documentation for ongoing airworthiness 

Technical specifications

Performance

  • Dash speed – 105 kph

  • Vne - 160 kph

  • Cruise Speed – 85-95 kph

  • Stall speed (no flap 25 kg) – 48 kph

  • Maximum cross wind (landing) – 35 kph

  • Operational Ceiling 10,000 feet (theoretical; tested to 6,500’)

Specifications

Airframe

  • Wingspan – 4.1 metres

  • Length – 2.9 metres

  • Height – 0.55 metres

  • MTOW – 25 kg (in standard set up)

  • Construction material – composite

  • Retractable single nose wheel and fixed main landing wheels

Engine

  • Corvid29 EFI engine recommended

  • Compatible with a number of engines

  • Fuel: Standard 6.9 litres ( > 8 hours endurance)

  • Long Range 10.5 litres ( > 12.5 hours endurance)

  • Custom fuel tank size upon request

  • Propeller 16”- 18” 2 or 3 blades

Payload

  • Nose pannier – 5.5 kg maximum, 900 mm long, > 35 litres volume, with in-house design capability to customise payload bay for tailored solutions

  • External wing stores - 4.0 kg external wing stores (max 2.0 kg per wing)

  • Customised configuration – optional fuel tank and payload configurations available to meet operational requirements.

Power supply

  • On board generation from the Corvid 29 engine

  • 250W maximum power supply

  • Power management unit supplying 6V and 12V power

  • Battery backup that can supply power to the flight control systems for 1 hour. Shore power is also available.

Auto pilot and ground control system

The Flamingo UAV package has been designed with the Micropilot autopilot with our propriety communications and system health monitoring solution.

The ground station includes Micropilots Horizon GCS software and Silvertone's Systems Panel for monitoring electrical, engine and payload systems

The Flamingo can accommodate various other commercial autopilots currently on the market designed for small RPAs/UAVs.

 

Tested Configurations

While the vehicle build is flexible, we have integrated and tested the following configurations:

  • ISR packages consisting of stabilised gimbal with EO/IR sensors and High-bandwidth radio link

  • Digital VHF radio repeater used with the Rural Fire Service

  • Active node in a communications mesh with Wave Relay 5 technology

  • Integration of the VUX-1 UAV LiDAR

  • CL90 and APX20 IMU

 

Logistics

  • Pelican transit case for complete configured platform and for GCS

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Customised Configuration

The Flamingo Mk3 can be customised to your requirements, with an engineered solution for your payload and mission. We work with our clients to produce a solution to their problem.

  • Optional engine systems

  • Optional autopilot/GCS set ups

  • Optional fuel tank sizes

  • Optional payload configurations

  • Optional parachute capability

 

Parachute testing by our Brazilian partners CTR3SM during the certification tests for ANAC, the Brazilian regulator.

Night operations of the Flamingo in Queensland, 2023.

Flamingo MK3 in action

Commercial returns

Energias de Brazil is one of the largest Brazilian electric utility companies and is a subsidiary of Energias de Portugal. They serve a total of 3.1 million customers over nine Brazilian states.

Silvertone is supplying Flamingo Mk3 bare airframes to the SSIAD AERO R&D project being conducted as a “Proof of Concept” by Energias de Brazil. This will form an integral part of an Automatic UAV Electrical Poles and Wires Utility management and maintenance operating system across their network of territories worldwide.

Energias de Brazil chose the Flamingo Mk3 because of its proven airframe characteristics, versatility of its operating configurations and payload flexibility. Early indicators have identified measurable benefits for the company, with significant savings and efficiencies, and plans to include the platform in their future global UAV activities.

Military interest

Silvertone UAV participated in the Autonomous Warrior 18 (AW18), a Five Eyes (FVEY) trial at Jervis Bay in November 2018, where the Flamingo Mk3 led ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) activities as part of the exercise.

In response to demand from Military, Police and Border Control operators in Australia and New Zealand, Silvertone has successfully integrated Wave Relay technology into the Flamingo Mk3

In partnership with CISTECH Solutions Silvertone will provide communications ‘forward eyes’ – oversight capability not offered by any other civil UAV platform.


In the pipeline

Silvertone is currently working on SIAD AERO proof of concept for EDP.
We are also interested to receive opportunities to integrate other sensor packages into the Flamingo Mk3.

 
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