Long-Range Aerial Patrol Drone

The Lannkin Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée is a fixed-wing drone with Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capability, specifically designed for long-range patrol missions, wide-area surveillance, and aerial reconnaissance. Combining the advantages of fixed-wing aircraft — extended endurance, high cruise speed, and long range — with the versatility of vertical takeoff inherent to multirotors, the Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée stands as the ideal solution for operators requiring extensive aerial coverage without runway infrastructure.

The Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée's hybrid architecture relies on four vertical lift motors (quadrotor configuration) for takeoff, landing, and hovering, and a rear pusher motor for cruising flight in fixed-wing configuration. The transition between vertical and horizontal flight modes is fully automated and completes in under 10 seconds without pilot intervention. The wing's aerodynamic profile, optimized through CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation and validated in wind tunnel testing, delivers an excellent lift-to-drag ratio enabling a cruise speed of 110 km/h with minimal energy consumption.

The 1,200 mm wingspan and total weight of 1.8 kg make the Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée a remarkably compact and lightweight drone for its operational capabilities. This lightness is achieved through a high-strength carbon-Kevlar composite fuselage and detachable wings made of carbon-fiber-reinforced structural foam. The drone can be assembled and flight-ready in under 5 minutes, and its compact transport case (800x250x200 mm) enables rapid deployment from a vehicle trunk.

The exceptional 120-minute endurance in cruise flight allows the Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée to cover considerable distances during patrol missions. At the optimal cruise speed of 80 km/h, this represents an effective operational radius of over 50 kilometers round trip, including vertical takeoff and landing phases and regulatory safety margins. This endurance is made possible by high energy-density lithium-polymer batteries coupled with the LannPower intelligent energy management system that optimizes power distribution between lift motors and the cruise motor.

The Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée's dual EO/IR (Electro-Optical / Infrared) camera system represents a state-of-the-art surveillance package. The electro-optical camera features a 20-megapixel CMOS sensor with 30x optical zoom and 3-axis gyro-stabilized gimbal stabilization, enabling identification of persons and vehicles at distances exceeding 5 kilometers. The infrared (IR) camera uses an uncooled 640x512 pixel detector with 0.05°C thermal sensitivity (NETD), capable of detecting persons at over 3 kilometers in thermal mode and spotting thermal anomalies on infrastructure (pipeline leaks, electrical cable overheating, hot spots on photovoltaic installations). Both cameras operate simultaneously, and real-time EO/IR image fusion provides the operator with complete situational awareness.

The 50-kilometer operational range is covered by a long-range communication system using an L-band (1.4 GHz) digital radio link with AES-256 encryption and advanced error correction. Data throughput supports real-time HD video transmission from both cameras, complete flight telemetry, and target tracking data. Optionally, a satellite communication module (Iridium) extends range beyond the radio horizon, enabling very-long-distance surveillance missions in areas lacking cellular coverage.

The Lannkin PatrolOps mission software, included with the Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée, offers advanced autonomous patrol features: patrol trajectory definition with waypoints and areas of interest, automatic anomaly detection through artificial intelligence (suspicious vehicles, intrusions into restricted zones, nascent wildfires), automatic moving target tracking with trajectory prediction, and georeferenced video mapping of the patrolled area. The recurring patrol mode enables programming of automatic repetitive missions at defined intervals, with a comparative analysis report between each patrol.

The Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée complies with European EASA regulations for the specific category and can be operated BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) under SORA authorization. Its 1.8 kg weight places it in the lightest regulatory category, significantly simplifying authorization processes. Lannkin provides a prepared SORA dossier and a Lannkin Academy-certified operator training program. The Drone de Patrouille Aérienne Longue Portée is also available with an integrated ballistic parachute system for operations over populated areas, adding an additional safety layer compliant with C5 certification requirements.