About Quest UAV and its Benefits

Low Cost and Minimal Legislation
The QUEST range of UAV's have been designed and priced specifically for universities and research establishments that want to gather data for their own purposes.  Provided Quest aircraft are not used for "Aerial Work " ( commercial gain) they do not need a CAA UAV license to operate in the UK. (Specific regulations under the Air Navigation Order and CAP 722 do apply but they are relatively simple to adhere to. See "FAQ" on the quest website.)

Extended Design and Development Period
The Quest range has been developed over a three year period by operators in the UAV business. The result is a well thought out, efficient and easily usable set of platforms for new and experience users.

Ease of Use
The system allows for a whole flight to be conducted safely by one person, even though a relatively heavy payload may be carried.The Quest WSP (Walk Stand Press) technology allows for an ultra-easy pre flight planning phase that is safe, simple and quick.

Exceptional Platform Stability and Performance
The aircraft can work in wind gusts of up to 25 mph, far exceeding competitors normal wind limits of below 10 mph.

The Autopilot is IMU based rather than Thermopile (Infra Red) based.  This gives much more accurate altitude and attitude control, tighter navigation and is not weather dependent, being unaffected by cloud or poor IR signature. Competitors use cheap open source “paparazzi” based autopilots that have significant limitations and are weather dependent.  Whilst the autopilot we used is significantly more expensive than competitors, it comes in a package that costs much less. Our fourth generation, QuestUAV, autopilot is a commercial grade autopilot designed to operate under some of the most challenging conditions that sUAV have to face.

Launch and Land System
The unique launch system allows users to safely and successfully launch any Quest aircraft in virtually any conditions.  (Short grass, long grass, cropped field, ploughed field, rough ground, sand, snow, ice …. even water).  There is no need for a runway or risky “discus throw” launch or a heavy catapult system.  All our competitors rely on one of one of these limiting systems.

The launch system uses a one handed launch that allows full focus on aircraft safety. Because the aircraft launch is executed with the motor off, it facilitates safer launches.

The launch system is quick, easily deployed, operated by one person and reduces down into a small package that will fit in a side pocket on a rucksack.

The robust nature of the aircraft allows for safe landings on the same surface that launches happen (apart from water). Landing net and parachute landings are other options. Even controlled impact with the ground is an acceptable form of landing!

Image Quality, Image Stability and Image Processing
For photogrammetry, our systems use a high quality Lumix camera with Leica lenses, modified where necesesary for Infra Red imagery. These robust cameras provide the best imagery possible for remote sensing with UAV's. Combined with our unique camera stabilisation gimbals and anti-vibration mounts, our Quest aircraft return on average 300% more useable images than competitors. This greatly reduces the flights required for coverage and reduces aircraft fatigue. It also produces better raw data for producing high quality mosaics.

Open source mosaicking package is offered at no cost. A 3D modelling package is also offered as an option that will provide accurate orthorectification and georeferencing.

Heavy Payloads
We are the only company to offer a heavy sUAV payload in the sub-7kg category that doesn’t have to be launched from a runway, catapult or a risky hand launch.  This means that full size SLR, twin compact cameras, IR, thermal or multi-spectral cameras can be carried and operated virtually anywhere.

Compact System
All of the systems are designed to be carried easily in a car. The onsite equipment (aircraft, operating equipment and launching gear) can be easily carried by one person to a site that might be many kilometers away from the vehicle. No other system offers this functionality for 0.5 Kg to 2.5 Kg payloads.