Aerial drones UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) play a central role in many sectors, from maritime surveillance to medical logistics to military combat. Flight characteristics, such as distance traveled, duration and speed, vary depending on the missions and models used.
Let’s overview what typical drone performance might be in these areas, while exploring the potential gains brought by swarm flight.
Typical performance of drones for maritime surveillance
Maritime surveillance missions require drones capable of covering large areas while remaining operational for long periods. Multi-rotor drones are less suitable for these missions due to their limited autonomy, but fixed-wing drones, like the MQ-9B SeaGuardian, excel in this area.
Typical distances: between 500 and 1,200 km.
Flight times: 12 to 30 hours, depending on weather conditions and payload.
Average speeds: approximately 200 to 300 km/h, with the ability to maintain stationary surveillance if necessary.
This performance makes it possible to track ships or monitor sensitive areas while transmitting data in real time. CFD simulations are used to optimize the energy consumption of marine drones, adjusting , for example, the air flow around carried sensors.
Typical performance of drones for medical logistics
Logistics drones intended for transporting medical supplies must combine speed, reliability and load capacity. Models like the Zipline Sparrow are particularly suited to these missions.
Typical distances: 80 to 150 km per trip.
Flight times: 1 to 2 hours, allowing rapid deliveries to isolated areas.
Average speeds: approximately 100 to 150 km/h, to ensure rapid transport while minimizing energy consumption.
The payload varies from a few kilograms to 10 kg for these drones. Route optimizations taking into account the aerodynamic coefficients of these drones improve autonomy while ensuring precise delivery.
Typical performance of drones for the military domain
Military drones, such as the Bayraktar TB2 or the Ukrainian Rubaka, are designed for surveillance or attack missions in hostile environments. The distance to be covered determines their autonomy, their speed and their carrying capacity.
Typical distances: up to 500 km.
Flight times: up to 24 hours for surveillance missions.
Average speeds: 150 to 250 km/h, with the ability to reach higher speeds if operational need arises.
These drones are optimized to minimize their radar signature and to fly at variable altitudes. The CFD simulations help to improve their efficiency and maneuverability.
Potential gains from swarm flight
Swarm flight represents a major step forward in improving the efficiency of drones, particularly in terms of energy consumption and overall performance. By using optimized configurations, such as V-shaped or in-line formations, follower drones benefit from upward flows generated by the leaders, reducing their drag and increasing their autonomy.
Here are some typical gains seen with swarm flight:
- Reduction in energy consumption by 15 to 30%, depending on the flight configuration.
- Increased overall autonomy through a rotation strategy within the swarm.
- Improved performance for the mission, with an expanded range thanks to the transit phases.
CFD-type numerical simulations allow to adjust the configurations and maximize these particularly significant benefits for long-range flights when the transit phases can be carried out by groups of drones.
Typical distances, durations and speeds for UAV aerial drones
UAV drone distances, durations and speeds vary considerably depending on missions and configurations. Fixed-wing drones dominate applications requiring high autonomy, while multi-rotors and helicopters focus on shorter-distance missions.
The development of swarm flight offers significant opportunities to reduce consumption and maximize efficiency. Thanks to advanced digital fluid mechanics simulation tools, operators can know the optimized flight configurations and improve the flight capabilities of their drones.
