ShadowfaxUAS has released the SF45, a Group 3 hybrid fixed-wing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) developed for long-endurance surveillance, reconnaissance, terrain mapping and environmental monitoring missions.
Now in production and available to order, the SF45 is an evolution of the company’s SF30 platform. It combines an electric quadrotor VTOL system with an electronically fuel-injected gasoline engine for forward flight, allowing it to operate without runways or separate launch and recovery equipment.
The aircraft offers endurance of up to 10 hours, can carry payloads weighing up to 8 kg and has a sortie range of more than 1,000 km. It has a maximum all-up weight of 40 kg, a wingspan of 4.3 m and a maximum altitude of 3,000 m. Built using trusted Western components, the platform is offered as an ITAR-free UAS.
Communications options include an encrypted Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radio with a range of up to 150 km, cellular connectivity where 4G coverage is available and satellite communications.
Quick-Swap Propulsion System
A key feature of the SF45 is its patented quick-swap forward propulsion unit, which can be exchanged in the field in less than one minute.
By allowing the gasoline propulsion unit to be exchanged in the field with a backup unit, the SF45 can return to service while the removed propulsion unit undergoes routine maintenance in a workshop. As gasoline propulsion units typically account for around 80% of routine maintenance time on a drone, this architecture is designed to improve aircraft availability, utilization and reliability while reducing maintenance downtime.
Being able to return an aircraft to service almost immediately reduces the potential fleet size and capital investment required to meet a given Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) requirement. The forward propulsion unit includes an automatic starter-generator and integrated sensors for engine temperature, engine RPM and fuel level, while the aircraft provides 500 W of onboard power at user-defined voltages.
Mission Payloads & Applications
The SF45 is payload- and communications-agnostic, with large, accessible payload bays designed to accommodate multiple systems and simplify equipment changes in the field. Integration options include Electro-Optical and Infrared (EO/IR) gimbals, encrypted datalinks, photogrammetry systems, GPS-denied navigation packages, LiDAR equipment and other specialized sensors.
The platform is intended for ISR in contested environments, maritime exclusive economic zone and coastal patrol, border security, search and rescue, disaster response and firefighting surveillance. It can also support environmental monitoring, terrain mapping, photogrammetry, LiDAR surveying, mineral exploration, forestry and agricultural operations.
In addition to removing the need for conventional runway infrastructure, the electric VTOL system supports a fully automated emergency landing should circumstances make it necessary.
Compact Deployment & Operator Training
The SF45 requires a takeoff area measuring 6 m by 6 m and can be assembled within 15 minutes of being removed from its transport case. Measuring 1.7 m by 0.7 m by 0.6 m, the case is designed to fit inside an SUV, providing a compact logistical footprint for field deployment and maritime operations where onboard storage space may be limited.
The aircraft is designed to operate in temperatures from -10°C to 45°C and in winds below 20 knots, with missions supported by a two-person crew. Customers purchasing the platform also receive training using the Shadowfax Twin digital twin simulator, which reproduces the aircraft’s flight and mission-operation characteristics to allow pilots and operators to train in a virtual environment before deployment.
