The SDO 50 is a high-endurance, multi-mission uncrewed helicopter designed to replace manned helicopters at reduced costs, significantly lower carbon emissions and without putting crews at risk in challenging weather conditions.

 

With up to 3.1 hours endurance, 33.2 kg useful load and long-range BVLOS capability, it enables safe, fully autonomous inspection, surveillance and search & rescue missions. Operators benefit from up to 70% operational cost savings and up to 95% CO2 emission reduction compared to manned aircraft.

Energy infrastructure across North America is under growing strain, from extreme weather and aging assets to workforce shortages and mounting pressure to reduce emissions. As a result, operators are accelerating the shift from traditional crewed helicopter inspections toward long-range uncrewed systems.

 

In multiple field deployments supporting power line and pipeline operators, the SDO 50 V3 has enabled fully autonomous BVLOS inspection workflows that improve inspection frequency, coverage and data consistency. Compared to helicopter-based operations, organizations report up to 70% operational cost savings and up to 95% CO2 reduction, while eliminating crew exposure to low-altitude flight risk.

 

Beyond efficiency gains, the transition supports a more scalable and repeatable inspection model, aligning high-quality data capture with proactive maintenance decisions and long-term infrastructure resilience.