Aerial surveillance in West Africa

In May AutoGyro handed over two specialised Rotax 916 iS powered Cavalon Sentinel gyroplanes to the government representatives of a West African country. These are the first of an order for twelve AutoGyro Sentinels, a fleet which will soon be performing aerial surveillance tasks and ensuring safety from the air. All seven Cavalon Sentinels and five Calidus Sentinels will be equipped with the powerful Rotax 916 iS engines and with a customised package of police systems, including state-of-the-art avionics and autopilot. Some of the gyroplanes will also carry a specialised 4K and infrared camera with live downlink to mission control.

The joint acceptance team were very pleased with the execution and outcome of the acceptance trials and handover process at AutoGyro headquarters in Hildesheim, Germany: AutoGyro-CEO Gerald Speich states: “The flight characteristic of these new gyroplanes met and exceeded the expectations of our new customers. These Cavalon Sentinels are the first aircraft in daily law enforcement use equipped with the latest Rotax 916 iS engine.”

After the two days of acceptance trials the customer formally received the two aircraft from AutoGyro and released them to shipping. Flight crew training commences on July 1. AutoGyro will also support the customer for several weeks on site in order to build up the associated infrastructure for the new gyroplane fleet. Maintenance courses for the future service team will also take place in June 2024 at AutoGyro facilities in Hildesheim as part of a full turn-key package.

“By working closely together with this international authorities, we have been able to realise an aircraft precisely equipped to meet their surveillance task requirements. With AutoGyro Sentinels, they have opted for a solution that is not only characterised by easy and cost-effective operation and maintenance, but also by maximised safety, cabin comfort and sustainability,” Gerald Speich continued.

The successful completion of this major order’s first handover marks AutoGyro’s growing establishment in the market for professional use of gyroplane. Proven Made-in-Germany quality, the deep expertise, as well as individual customisation have led to several new projects and customers within the police and law enforcement sectors.

Key Features

• The Cavalon Sentinel is AutoGyro’s premium side-by-side seat model, powered by the new state-of-the-art and fuel-efficient Rotax 916 iS engine.
• AutoGyro Sentinel aircraft have an operational range of four hours, or approximately 600 kilometers, with a maximum speed up to 225 km/h / 120 Kt / 140 mph.
• They can carry special customer-defined equipment including a high-res day-, night- and infrared camera system with real-time data downlink to mission control. This system provides a best-in-class solution in day and night conditions.
• Equipped with a UK Civil Aviation Authority approved autopilot and customised avionics the AutoGyro Sentinel even has the capability to operate in IFR conditions.
• The State-of-the-Art avionics can manage three independent radios simultaneously. 

A gyroplane is not a helicopter or a traditional winged aircraft, it provides a vehicle platform complimentary to both. They are inherently safe aircraft, with a very broad speed range. They can be flown very slow, even to zero kilometers per hour, making them an excellent observation platform perfect for border or highway patrols or wildfire spotting. Gyroplanes have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to helicopters and generally offer a cost-efficient and environment-friendly alternative for commercial aerial tasks.