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AeroVironment has announced that it has flown its Puma small unmanned aircraft for over nine hours, powered by an on-board fuel cell battery hybrid energy storage system. This flight broke the previous announced Puma flight record of more than seven hours. A two-camera payload system provided a live, streaming video feed from the Puma, the largest of AV's portfolio of small unmanned aircraft systems that also includes the Raven and the Wasp. The nine-hour flight duration more than tripled the duration of the Puma's standard battery-only operation.

With a wingspan of 8.5 feet and a weight of 12.5 pounds, the Puma is a lightweight, hand-launched UAS that provides aerial observation at line-of-sight ranges up to 10 kilometers. Operating from the same ground control system used for the Raven and the Wasp, the Puma incorporates avionics that enable autonomous flight and precise GPS navigation. This successful demonstration marked a milestone in AV's Phase II small business innovation research contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for the development of advanced energy storage and propulsion technologies for unmanned aircraft. AV developed the battery pack, power electronics and controls portion of the hybrid energy storage system, which used Protonex Technology Corporation's Pulse UAV fuel cell system.

Progress on this unique technology development program advanced swiftly from kickoff in January 2007, to achieve a five-hour flight in May 2007, a seven-hour flight in July 2007, and the recent nine-hour flight.

Each of AV's production small UAS can be transported and set up with a minimal logistical footprint, launched and operated by one person, and is powered by a replaceable and rechargeable battery pack.
The Wasp, the Raven and the Puma wirelessly transmit live, streaming video and other information generated by their electro-optical or infrared sensor payloads, enabling their operators to view and capture images on a hand-held ground control unit. Their high degree of portability and flexibility enables these systems to provide tactical units with critical information when and where they need it, facilitating faster, safer movement through urban and rural environments. To date, AV has delivered more than 8000 small unmanned aircraft.