WATCH: Rocket-Shaped Drone Takes Off Like Helicopter, Flies Like Plane
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We’ve recently written about the Russian Frigate drone and its impressive vertical take-off capabilities. V-Bat from Martin UAV also accomplishes this difficult task, but with a somewhat different approach.
Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) has been a long-standing ambition for the aero industry. It provides a clear advantage in that a VTOL aircraft can takeoff and land almost anywhere, avoiding the need for runways, and greatly expanding mission potential. Until drones, accomplishing this task has been monumentally difficult.
Switching mid-flight from vertical to horizontal thrust has been too risky for the humans inside the aircraft, but unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) don’t face this challenge, and are now quickly taking it on.
The rocket-shaped drone is balanced on top of a propeller enclosed in a duct, allowing to take off gently and precisely off the ground. Once in the air, however, V-Bat can simply turn perpendicular to the ground, and carry on flying like a plane.
Martin UAV says that the V-Bat can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h, and sustain speeds of 80 km/h for some 8 hours straight with a 2.25 kg payload.. It has an operational range of over 55 kilometres from its control station, and can carry enough fuel for a 480 kilometre trip. V-Bat can reach altitudes of over 4,500 metres, which makes it perfect for surveillance, scouting, wildlife monitoring, and mapping.
The company hopes it will “revolutionize the availability of UAV operations from confined areas, bridging a critical mission gap at the tactical level where it is needed the most.”
You can watch it in action in the video below:
