MIT petrol-powered drone has flight-time of five days
MIT researchers have built an autonomous petrol-powered drone that can stay aloft for five days on a single tank of fuel. The drone, which has a 24-foot wingspan, was originally intended to be solar-powered, but the team switched to gasoline when it became apparent that solar alone was not sufficient to keep the aircraft airborne. Use cases for the drone include provision of internet-access to remote areas, and monitoring disaster zones.

This Gas-Powered Drone Can Fly For Five Days On a Single Tank

A group of engineers at MIT have developed a truly exceptional autonomous drone that is designed to stay in the air for up to five days at a time on a single talk of gasoline.



This particular autonomous drone started off as a solar-powered flight contraption, but solar functionality was soon replaced by gasoline once it became apparent that the 24-foot-wide drone would struggle to stay in the air for days at a time on solar power alone.



Constructed using lightweight kevlar and carbon fiber, this autonomous drone is large enough to carry communication tools onboard. This feature, coupled with the drone's incredible flight time, makes it an ideal device for disaster relief initiatives. What's more, it could also be used to help deliver Internet access to far-flung parts of the world.