The Reunion manufacturer FLY-R, based in Saint-Paul, won the first prize in the innovation competition of the Sofins exhibition, which aims to promote the innovations of companies to meet the needs of the Special Forces, for its R2-120 Raijin drone project.
A specialist in rhomboid wing drones (closed diamond-shaped wings), the Saint-Paul-based company has been working regularly with civilians and the military for over 10 years, offering them drones used for coastal and maritime surveillance.
“We have validated a unique concept of rhomboid wing aircraft, making our company one of the only ones to master this particular and economical aerodynamic formula. The size of the drone allows us to meet the needs of our customers and to offer products with high technological value at particularly attractive costs”, explains François Varigas, co-founder of FLY-R.
A drone made in Reunion with exceptional qualities
The R2-120 Raijin, which won an award at the SOFINS show, is the latest addition to a fleet of six aircraft models. It has retained the attention of the public and the jury of the show for its exceptional qualities: a wingspan of 1.2 meters, wings that fold and a launch that is made with a tube. It has a speed of 110 km/h with a range of 50 km and can dive attack at a speed of 270 km/h. The drone can also be equipped with a 1.5 kg payload. “We are very proud to have been invited by the Cercle de l’Arbalète, the association that organizes the SOFINS show”, continues François Varigas
The drone is equipped with a Day/Night camera for the detection, identification and engagement of a target controlled by the operator of the Ground Control Station. It is equipped with a pyrotechnic charge adapted to different types of targets such as vehicles with different levels of protection or armor.
“This exhibition was a real opportunity for us to make ourselves known and to show our know-how. For the moment it is a prototype but if we manage to raise funds, we could put the R2-120 Raijin into service within a year”, continues François Varigas.
FLY-R in brief
FLY-R was founded in 2013 by three engineers with more than 45 years of combined experience in the design, flight testing and qualification of aircraft for UAV systems in the civilian and military sectors. Located on Reunion Island, it specializes in the design, development and manufacture of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), using composite structure aircraft, up to six meters wingspan. FLY-R’s expertise, as well as the quality and diversity of its technological research projects, have earned it the support of the Technopole de La Réunion and the attention of key players such as ONERA in the aeronautical field.
