Draganfly unveils hybrid version of its Commander XL 3 drone

Canadian drone hardware and systems company Draganfly is extending the operational capacities of its Commander 3 XL UAV with the introduction of a hybrid-powered version that prolongs the craft’s flight time up to three hours.

Draganfly unveiled its new Commander 3 XL Hybrid drone at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas this morning. The company introduced the original version of the UAV during the same event in 2022, likening its utility and versatility to a Swiss Army knife. The addition of a fuel injection system more than triples the craft’s previous battery-powered flight capacity while carrying four kilograms of payload.

Though the Commander 3 XL has found a healthy response among enterprise clients, its benefits in toting relatively heavy loads in even hostile settings has made it particularly alluring to the police, fire, emergency, and other first responder services Draganfly has worked closely with in recent months. 

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The ability to fly those weighty payloads well beyond the 55-minute maximum of the battery-only option is expected to make the hybrid version of the Commander 3 XL even more valuable to first responders, as well as business customers increasingly wanting drones to remain aloft longer to perform more effective single flight missions.

“Driven by customer demand the Commander 3 XL Hybrid is Draganfly’s latest technological advancement designed to assist various sectors to achieve more than ever before,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. “This new platform offers extended flight times, logistical efficiency, and reliability to achieve peak operational efficiency without compromise. We are excited to be able to showcase the Commander 3 XL Hybrid at this year’s Commercial UAV Expo alongside all our other innovative drone technology.” 

Reflecting the adage that you don’t get anything without giving something up, the additional flight capacity the Commander 3 XL Hybrid attains won’t be as green as Draganfly’s battery-only drone version.

Commander 3 XL Hybrid’s added liquid-cooled powertrain runs off gasoline or heavy fuels, though Draganfly says the system provides maximal combustion efficiency. The dual-system drone also features an onboard diagnostics tech that continually monitors craft and engine performance, allowing operator tweaks to further improve consumption-to-operation ratios.

Following the release of the augmented drone this morning, Draganfly is making the hybrid version of its Commander 3 XL available to visitors at its Commercial UAV Expo booth #1122 until the end of the trade show tomorrow night.