The US company SkyDefense has developed an autonomous VTOL drone called CobraJet (Vertical Take-Off and Landing – VTOL), which is intended to be able to independently defend against drone swarm attacks. CobraJet is available in different versions, which, powered electrically or additionally by turbines, can reach speeds of up to 560 km/h. The hull of the interceptor drone comes from the 3D printer.
CobraJets with Electric and Hybrid Drive
SkyDefense plans to offer five variants of the CobraJet once the fixed-wing drone has passed all tests. CobraJet V4, V6, V8, and V10 are fully electrically powered. They differ in size and flight time. The size ranges from approximately 116 cm to 293 cm wingspan. All share the same speed. The drones reach top speeds of up to 260 km/h with their electric impeller engines. The energy for this comes from high-energy-density solid-state batteries. The drones can also take off and land vertically, making them deployable in the smallest of spaces. Flight time ranges between 30 minutes and one hour.
V4 and V6 can be transported by one person. The wings are detachable for this purpose. For the V8 and V10, two people are needed for transport. The V10 can also be used as a drone mothership to transport several cost-effective high-speed drones autonomously to combat zones.
