Forge and Flight Labs has added the Longbow-8 to its platform lineup — a Group 1 hybrid fixed-wing VTOL designed for organizations that need a professional-grade, NDAA-compliant development and training platform without the capital commitment of a Group 2 or Group 3 system.
The Gap It Fills
Until now, organizations evaluating UAS for their programs faced a difficult choice: spend significant capital on a production platform before fully understanding their requirements, or use consumer-grade equipment that fails NDAA compliance tests and lacks the flight characteristics of professional systems.
The Longbow-8 fills the space between those options. It falls within departmental procurement authority for most university programs and unit-level spending authority for defense innovation cells — man-portable in a single transport case, field-deployable from any vehicle.
Key Specifications
- Group: 1 (man-portable, single transport case)
- Endurance: 120–134 minutes depending on battery configuration
- Range: 137–155 km
- Payload: 2kg capacity, 280mm x 160mm x 110mm bay
- Launch: VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing)
- Disassembly: Tool-free field configuration
- Compliance: NDAA Section 848, RemoteID
- Part Number: FFL-UAS-LB08-VT
Configuration Tiers
Three tiers available — Basic, Professional, and Mission Ready — configured to mission requirements. All pricing is contact-for-quote.
- Basic: Standard batteries, open standard autopilot, tool-free disassembly
- Professional: Extended batteries, RTK GPS, priority support, spare parts kit
- Mission: Full development suite, developer API, enhanced PNT, gold support
The Training Value
Operators trained on the Longbow-8 build skills that transfer directly to the Aether-10 and Vanguard-14. All three platforms share open autopilot architecture and execute the same VTOL transition flight mode. Training on the Longbow-8 reduces per-operator cost on larger, higher-value platforms.
View Longbow-8 Full Specifications →
Contact us at [email protected] to request a quote or discuss configuration options.