Vanilla Unmanned is an American long-endurance, low-cost UAV manufacturer. Founded by aerostructures designer Daniel Hatfield, systems engineer Neil Boertlein and programme manager Jeremy Novara, it had an annual budget of $300,000 from NASA and the US Department of Defense. In October 2020, the company was acquired by Platform Aerospace, a provider of aircraft prototyping, modification, and systems integration. Aircraft VA001 The Vanilla Aircraft VA001 is a long-endurance UAV. Powered by an off-the-shelf diesel engine driving a pusher propeller, it is controlled by a Piccolo autopilot. Weighting up to 600lb (272kg), it has a 36ft (11m) wing and a 55-gallon (208-litre) fuel capacity. It has a projected endurance of up to 10 days at 55kn (102km/h) and up to , burning of jet fuel per hour. It is launched on a sled by a towline attached to a pickup truck and lands at on a centrewheel. It can carry a 30lb (13.6kg) payload: electro-optical and SAR sensors for surveillance including maritime, or act as a radio relay. Having cost $3 million to develop, its production cost would be $500,000 while it is comparable to the 24h-endurance Boeing Insitu ScanEagle. In October 2017, it completed a five-day 1h 20min flight at NASA Wallops in Virginia, covering 7,000 miles (11,265km) and landing with three days of fuel remaining. Vanilla seeks to raise $5 million as a larger design could carry a 250lb (113kg) payload. Vanilla UAV On 2 October 2021, a Vanilla UAV completed an eight-day and 50 minute flight at Edwards AFB in California, flying 10,600nmi (19,600km) in circuits: an internal combustion engine-powered UAV record to be ratified by the FAI. References External links Unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers of the United States