Perimeter-8

Perimeter-8 is a hybrid gas-electric quadcopter built by Skyfront of Redwood City, California, designed to combine a multirotor's vertical take-off and landing with the range and endurance of a fixed-wing or manned aircraft. In its longer-range Perimeter 8+ configuration it has a maximum take-off weight of 26 kg, carries up to 10 kg of payload, and is rated for up to 5 hours of flight and 216 km of range.

Overview

Skyfront was founded in 2014 to address the short flight times of battery-only multirotors, which it says forced mapping, survey and inspection jobs to span multiple flights or days and often made crewed aircraft the cheaper option. After researching propulsion options, the company settled on hybrid-electric power, pairing a small combustion engine and generator with electric motors, as the basis for its Perimeter line. Skyfront says a Perimeter aircraft holds the endurance record for a commercially available multirotor at over 13 hours, though the company did not pursue independent verification of that figure; its production aircraft are rated for shorter, payload-dependent flight times.

The aircraft is sold in two tiers, Perimeter 8 and the longer-range Perimeter 8+, which share an airframe and controls but differ in maximum take-off weight, payload and endurance. Skyfront markets both for mapping, inspection, agriculture, search and rescue, and government and defense missions, and lists Green UAS NDAA certification (the first multirotor to receive it, in 2023) and Blue UAS Select status (2025) among its compliance credentials. In 2026 the United States Army awarded Skyfront a contract to field Perimeter 8 with Army units, integrate it into Army command-and-control networks, and train soldiers and instructors on it.

Design and capabilities

Perimeter-8 measures about 2 x 1.9 m tip to tip ready to fly, folding to roughly 0.6 x 0.81 m with its arms removed, and Skyfront says it can be unboxed, assembled and flown in under five minutes. Propulsion is hybrid: a two-stroke, electronically fuel-injected engine running on 91-octane-or-higher fuel drives a generator that powers the aircraft's electric motors at better than 95% electrical conversion efficiency. Operators can fly on fuel alone for maximum endurance, switch to a quiet battery-only mode for missions of roughly 90 minutes (converting between fuel tanks and batteries takes under 10 minutes), or switch between the two modes in flight, including up to 15 minutes of silent battery flight inside a hybrid mission.

In its Perimeter 8+ configuration, Skyfront rates the aircraft for 5 or more hours of flight with no payload, 3 hours carrying 5 kg, 2 hours carrying 7.5 kg, or 1 hour carrying its maximum 10 kg payload, with a maximum range of 216 km, a top speed of 70 km/h and a cruise speed of 35 km/h. Maximum density-altitude ceiling is 4,000 m. The base Perimeter 8 is lighter at 23 kg maximum take-off weight, with a 7.5 kg maximum payload, a 177 km maximum range and a 57 km/h top speed. A modular payload bay accepts cameras, LiDAR and other sensors over 5 kg, and the aircraft runs a Pixhawk/PX4-based autopilot with a Skyfront ground-control station built on QGroundControl. Configurable radio links from 433 MHz to 5.8 GHz support AES128/AES256 encryption and telemetry ranges from 10 to 100 km, with compatibility for Silvus, Doodle Labs, Persistent Systems and RFD radios.

Operational history

Skyfront has sold Perimeter aircraft to civil operators for LiDAR and aeromagnetic survey work, including a national UAV aeromagnetic survey training programme in Ghana and archaeological mapping of Mayan pyramids at Chichen Itza, Mexico. In 2026, the United States Army ran a first deployment phase in Colorado with partner AeroIntel Systems, in which soldiers flew Perimeter 8 on beyond-visual-line-of-sight surveillance missions from inside armored vehicles, linked to Silvus and Persistent Systems mesh radios and Starlink backhaul, with the aircraft also serving as an airborne communications relay.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Skyfront Perimeter-8 cost?

Skyfront lists a starting price of US$49,900 for the Perimeter 8; the longer-range Perimeter 8+ and options are priced separately.

How long does the Perimeter-8 fly?

Up to 5 or more hours unloaded in the Perimeter 8+ configuration, falling to 1 hour at its maximum 10 kg payload.

What is the range of the Perimeter-8?

Skyfront rates the Perimeter 8+ for up to 216 km; the base Perimeter 8 is rated for up to 177 km.

Who uses the Perimeter-8?

Skyfront sells it to civil mapping, survey and inspection operators, and in 2026 the United States Army contracted Skyfront to field it with Army units.

How does Perimeter-8's hybrid propulsion work?

A two-stroke, fuel-injected engine drives a generator that powers electric motors, with a switchable battery-only mode and the ability to switch between fuel and battery power in flight.