Platform System Design

Platform System Design

13 July 2021

Meteo sensors network with the use of drones (METSIS)

NLR and AirHub have recently completed the METeo Sensors In the Sky METSIS project. This project investigated the use of drones as an aerial sensor network for low-altitude hyperlocal wind nowcasting. The results of this project contribute towards the European Uspace programme for enabling high-density drone operations in the future. Find out more in this […]
professional RPAS drone operations
Sustainability and Environment

03 February 2021

Flying safely with liquid hydrogen

NLR will demonstrate drone flights fuelled by liquid hydrogen stored in tanks made entirely of composite material – a lightweight solution, with no risk of metal fatigue. With this, NLR is taking the next step towards safe, climate-neutral aviation, contributing to the ambitions of the Dutch ‘Duurzame Luchtvaartakkoord’ (Sustainable Aviation Accord) and the associated ‘Actieprogramma […]
Air Traffic Management

22 January 2021

Europe is testing air taxis and drones for urban mobility

The European project AMU-LED is aiming to demonstrate the safe integration of drones in 2022 into urban environments in the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Various scenarios are being looked at, such as flights using airborne taxis for passenger transport and the use of drones to assist policing and the emergency services. Passenger air […]
Platform Technology

15 June 2020

Antenna integration in a carbon fibre fuselage panel (ACASIAS)

For internet access and live television on board aircraft steerables are needed to enable communication with satellites. Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and partners in the EC Horizon2020 ACASIAS project have developed a novel composite fuselage panel that can be used for the conformal and full integration of electronically steerable phased array antennas. The fuselage […]
NLR hydrogen drone HYDRA on the runway of the Dronecentre
Sustainability and Environment

08 June 2020

Flying on hydrogen, first drone test flight on batteries (HYDRA II)

Less emission, longer endurance or heavier payloads. That’s why NLR invests in the development of hydrogen powered drones. HYDRA II is a VTOL drone with the goal of flying on hydrogen for 2 hours. At this moment we perform the first flight tests on batteries at NLR Drone Centre. Later this year this aircraft will […]
Dutch Drone Delta
Air Traffic Management

04 December 2019

Facilitating MALE RPAS integration in non-segregated European airspace

NLR is performing a multi-year study in partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems UK (GA-UK), to develop the procedures needed to safely and efficiently integrate Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) into European Airspace and to ultimately develop a data-driven Concept of Operation (CONOP) […]
Sustainability and Environment

20 November 2019

Flying on hydrogen, towards zero-emission flight

First flight of Royal NLR’s hydrogen drone: HYDRA. Less emission, longer endurance or heavier payloads. That’s why NLR invests in the development of hydrogen powered drones. One of the main challenges of this activity is to adhere to our safety requirements. To this end NLR drafted an Explosion Safety Report, covering extensive safety analyses. This […]
First flight NLR hydrogen drone at NLR Drone Centre Marknesse
Sustainability and Environment

20 September 2019

Hydrogen-powered drone above The Netherlands

It has not previously been done in Dutch airspace: NLR is flying a hydrogen-powered drone (HYDRA). This is a step towards sustainable aviation. Additionally, market parties will be able to follow these footsteps quickly and fly hydrogen-powered drones safely in the Netherlands. At the testing centre in Marknesse, the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) has […]