Parallel Flight Technologies

Parallel Flight Technologies is a drone maker based in La Selva Beach, United States. It builds hybrid heavy-lift unmanned aircraft for long-range commercial, industrial and defense missions. The company says its hybrid propulsion gives its Firefly aircraft more payload, range and endurance than all-electric drones. The aircraft is made in the USA.

Firefly hybrid aircraft

• Payload and endurance: carries up to 100 lb for about 1.4 hours.
• Hybrid drivetrain: a redundant hybrid drivetrain that needs no charging infrastructure.
• Portable refueling: two people can transport the aircraft and refuel it in under five minutes.
• Autonomy and integration: fully autonomous operations, with easy payload integration and power.

Certification and partnerships

The company reports an FAA exemption under section 44807 that allows commercial operations of heavy-lift hybrid UAS in the United States. Its site also mentions an Office of Naval Research award to develop a maritime-capable Firefly and a distribution partnership to extend the aircraft into the Asia-Pacific region. The firm presents the aircraft as built for missions that all-electric systems cannot complete, and states that it is designed for rapid field setup with minimal infrastructure.

The site compares the Firefly to a pickup truck that flies, built to carry 100 pounds for up to 1.4 hours. Its hybrid propulsion is presented as the reason it can complete missions that all-electric systems cannot. The Office of Naval Research maritime contract is listed at $3.74 million, and the site's news section also covers the Asia-Pacific partnership.

Key facts

• Based in: La Selva Beach, United States
• Certifications: FAA section 44807 exemption for commercial operations
• Products: Firefly hybrid UAS
• Markets: Commercial, industrial and defense missions, with maritime and Asia-Pacific partnerships