Get Your Rotor Runnin’: ONR-sponsored Flexrotor Program Takes off for Next Phase

By Katherine H. Crawford, Office of Naval Research ARLINGTON, Va.—Part helicopter, part airplane, the Office of Naval Research(ONR)-sponsored Flexrotor vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enters the next development phase April 30 in delivering improved maritime surveillance capability. The contract awarded today is for the flight controls component. During this phase, Aerovel Corp. will advance Flexrotor’s capability with an upgraded propulsion system to transition from vertical to cruising flight and to land in crosswinds and high winds. The aircraft’s first major milestone was in August 2011, when it successfully transitioned from horizontal to vertical flight and back again. The small UAV features a unique design. It has an oversized propeller with helicopter-like controls for vertical takeoff and landing and the wings of a conventional aircraft. The goal is that it will take off vertically, cruise efficiently horizontally and then land vertically. “With Flexrotor, the two biggest benefits to Sailors and Marines would be the ability to do extended maritime surveillance from a ship, and to do so with a small footprint,” said John Kinzer, ONR program officer for Air Vehicle Technology. Taking up less than one-half the space needed by other UAVs, Flexrotor would give Sailors compact, ship-launched, eye-in-the-sky […]
Get Your Rotor Runnin’: ONR-sponsored Flexrotor Program Takes off for Next Phase