VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Universal Wing Technologies Inc. has taken delivery of its third Venturer-class unmanned airborne vehicle, targeted at night time “red eye” endurance missions. This aircraft will demonstrate that the Venturer design can fly reliably through the night, taking off at dusk and landing at dawn.

Flying night missions is an advantage for Universal because lower turbulence (at low altitude) makes flying smoother, improving data quality. Magnetic field variations are also reduced at night, improving geophysical data quality. The “red eye” endurance tests will be conducted in the interior of British Columbia and will be completed by August 2010. Revenue-generating missions will then be initiated.

The Venturer UAV is a custom-designed workhorse manufactured exclusively for Universal by Stratus Aeronautics Inc. of Vancouver, BC. The first Venturer carries a camera payload. The second Venturer is currently being used for promotion, and can be viewed at the Universal booth at the PDAC (#603 Trade Show side). Universal has ordered a fourth Venturer in which a horizontal gradiometer (two magnetometers in each wing tip) payload will be installed.