Facebook has tested its real size drone "Aquila"

The US social network Facebook has tested its real size drone "Aquila" which hopes to use to bring the Internet to remote areas of the planet.

The test took place at Yuma Proving Ground, a military base of trials located in Arizona, in the southwestern United States.

There are many companies today that have a common goal, even if they are carrying separate projects: to offer high-speed Internet worldwide avoiding costly ground facilities.
Google has already announced that it will connect to a whole country with balloons, Airbus also with a network of satellites and don’t forget about Facebook, which now shows us the first images and details of its Aquila.

That is the name given to its gigantic drone that will fly thousands of meters high. Thanks to solar cells coupled in their wings, you can stay in the air up to 90 days providing connection to a large area.

The Facebook project is to create a network of this type of solar drones, placing them at high altitude in geosynchronous and using lasers to connect with each other and with the ground communication equipment and satellites.

In his first test at actual size, Aquila flew at low altitude for 96 minutes, three times longer than initially planned, said Facebook.

This allowed especially to collect data in real conditions to verify the drone reactions to turbulence or wind, aerodynamics, reliability autopilot system and its energy consumption.
The limits of Aquila with a long series of tests in the coming months and years, said Jay Parikh.

The Aquila will fly faster, higher and longer, to finally bring to more than 60,000 feet, an altitude of about 18 kilometers, which is expected to be finally its cruising altitude.
The drone consists essentially of a carbon fiber wing, similar to the size of a Boeing 737, but less than the weight of a small car. The aim is that achieves flight range of three months.

Aquila has a similar size to a commercial airliner but weighs only one-third of what is often such devices. You can fly to an altitude above 60,000 feet with a very low cost of energy: 5,000 watts, about what they consume three hairdryers.

Created in collaboration with a team of engineers in the UK, the drone of Facebook has the wingspan of a Boeing 737, but thanks to its structure and the materials used - mainly carbon fiber - ultra low, its weight is only 400 kg.

This test has been used to certify that all drone systems functioning properly. In fact, it had a problem before landing that make Facebook engineers take care of fix it to bring it on the ground.

Of becoming a viable and cost-effective device, it could be the next business of the social networks as an Internet operator.

Facebook wants to expand internet coverage to some 4,000 million people, 60% of the world's people, who have no access, according to the social network, particularly in emerging countries.

Christopher Miller
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