This futuristic unmanned aircraft combines technology for maximum effect
It can take off and land vertically but still have the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.
This could be the future of military aviation.
That means it benefits from vertical take-off and landing as well as the ability to hover, thanks to its rotary wings.
Once airborne, it can switch to fixed-wing mode for greater speed and range.
A computerised fleet of the aircraft – in simulated action – can be seen in a mock-up video created by BAE Systems which developed the technology with students from Cranfield University.
“The Adaptable UAVs concept and related technologies are one of a number of concepts being explored through close collaboration between industry and students in academia.”
Underpinning the machines is adaptive flight control and advanced navigation and guidance software.
Engineers at BAE Systems envisage take-off/landing attached to a pole to avoid strong winds or sideways movement throwing it off course. The aircraft would slide up or down them to take off as though on a firemen’s pole.
“The pole’s gyro-stabilised element also ensures that it remains upright independently of the host vehicle’s orientation, which may be rolling if on a ship, or in the case of a land vehicle driving up or down a slope at the time of the launch or recovery.”
