An innovative and ultra-fast drone designed in Toulouse
Hosted at ENAC, the Toulouse start-up Tidav has developed an innovative, precise Vertical Take-off and Landing Aircraft (ADAV or VTOL) capable of traveling large distances quickly autonomously.
This drone with its unique design and flight technique allows use in strong winds up to 50 km/h. “We are the only ones on the market to offer such a device and we are currently working on a fifth version. A more efficient 25 kg model, with a cruising speed exceeding 120 km/h and withstanding winds of 100 km/h “, explains Cédric Lefort president of Tidav. “What interests us is to advance aeronautical innovation”, he adds. A former dental technician, Cédric Lefort resumed engineering studies at INSA in Toulouse in his thirties, where he produced the first mechanical engineering drone. A drone systems development engineer at Toulouse Tech Transfer then R&D manager at Airborne Concept, he founded Tidav in August 2021 with his two partners Vivien Jourdon and Philippe Valero. The three entrepreneurs know each other well, each have their own specialty and are complementary. Their internationally recognized innovation has obtained a patent from the EPO (European Patent Office). It finds its application with many manufacturers looking for a light air transport capable of transporting various loads or sensors, and has customers on the offshore market: maintenance of offshore wind turbines, measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from ships or oil platforms, as well as in defence, in the French Navy, for remote observation. Tidav, which is in the power study and test phase, is carrying out its tests in the aviary at ENAC, outdoors at Muret and Port La Nouvelle in strong wind conditions. The start-up supported by the region and many local partners plans to launch its industrialization phase by 2025.