New Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV Completes Flight Tests

By Caroline Rees / 15 Aug 2017

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST

Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV

ULC Robotics, Inc. has successfully flight tested its newly developed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle. As a robotics, energy services and research and development company focused on the energy and utility industries, ULC Robotics’ commercial-grade VTOL fixed-wing UAV has been specifically developed to meet the inspection needs of electric and gas utilities.

The UAV was designed and built from the ground up by ULC’s Aerial Services and engineering teams. The platform has a 10-foot wingspan and a sensor payload capacity of 10 pounds for conducting fully-autonomous aerial inspections and assessments of a variety of utility structures and properties, including electrical transmission lines, gas transmission pipelines, and right of ways.

ULC Aerial Services is working with gas and electric utilities across the United States to develop the VTOL aircraft with the most beneficial commercial utility applications. Upcoming test flights and pilot programs utilizing the VTOL area critical step towards the VTOL’s ability to gather valuable imagery and data for enhancing utility infrastructure.

In order to collect specialized data for the divisions’ utility customers, ULC will be integrating a variety of sensor and monitoring payloads into the VTOL platform. The UAV will continue to be flight tested with radiometric thermal cameras and high-resolution DSLR imaging systems and, with the 10-pound payload capacity, more than one system can be included on the aircraft at a time. The company also plans to integrate LiDAR, gas leak detection sensors and other advanced systems onto the payload of the drone.

Find suppliers of VTOL UAVs > 

The VTOL UAV has a set of eight quadcopter rotors for VTOL, then after reaching a predetermined altitude and airspeed, the aircraft transitions into highly-efficient, forward flight combining the practical functionalities of multi-rotorUAV and the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.

The drone is currently running an electric propulsion system with a one to one-and-a-half hour flight time. In the near future, ULC Aerial Services intends to integrate an electric/gas hybrid propulsion system that will allow for a five-hour endurance and 50 mph cruise speed (250-mile range), laying the groundwork for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight.

Planning for BVLOS flights with the VTOL UAV and ULC’s other unmanned aircraft is a strategic aspect of the aerial services program that will allow our utility customers to adopt the most efficient and cost-effective UAV services.

“The combination of extended flight time, speed, and range offers enhanced inspections and assessments that improve upon the capabilities of current utility inspection techniques,” said Mike Passaretti, ULC Aerial Services Program Manager.

Present electric utility infrastructure inspection methods can be cumbersome requiring utilities to fly helicopters over the inspection site several times a year, which is costly and compromises the safety of the workers due to low airspeed and altitude. By implementing the use of the VTOL UAV, the data gathered will allow utility inspectors to assess infrastructure health from the safety of their desk, rather than in the air.

The UAV’s sensor payload, along with its ability to offset the use of helicopters brings a new level of innovation to utilities that improves asset reliability, reduces the environmental footprint and increases safety.

And because the UAV can take off and land from almost anywhere without a runway, it can be dispatched from difficult-to-access terrain, heavily forested areas and densely populated neighborhoods where long stretches of utility infrastructure, such as gas transmission right-of-ways, are time-consuming or unsafe to inspect on foot or with a manned aircraft.

“As a leader in providing innovative services and products to some of the world’s most notable utility companies, ULC is committed to developing advanced solutions that can enhance and improve the safety and reliability of energy networks,” said Gregory Penza, President and CEO, ULC Robotics, Inc. “Our Aerial Services division’s new VTOL UAV will help redefine how utilities inspect their infrastructure and through working directly with our customers to develop the UAV program, we welcome the opportunity to create more value and discover the innovative ways in which UAVs will gather even more actionable data to improve utility inspections while reducing operating costs.”

Posted by Caroline Rees Caroline co-founded Unmanned Systems Technology and has been at the forefront of the business ever since. With a Masters Degree in marketing Caroline has her finger on the pulse of all things unmanned and is committed to showcasing the very latest in unmanned technical innovation. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

GA-ASI Spotlights Advanced Uncrewed Systems at Paris 2025

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is internationally showcasing a full-scale model of the company’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) at the Paris Air Show 2025 at Stand B-176, Hall 3

Jun 16, 2025
Cambridge Pixel Collaboration to Advance Police Forces C-UAS Technology

Cambridge Pixel and OpenWorks Engineering are collaborating to deliver adaptable counter-drone systems tailored for European law enforcement agencies

Jun 16, 2025
New Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming Solution for Airborne UAS Control

Airbus Helicopters has launched HTeaming, a modular crewed-uncrewed solution that enables helicopter crews to take full control of UAS while airborne

Jun 16, 2025
Neousys to Present Rugged Embedded Computers for UAVs at Paris Air Show

Neousys Technology and Factory Systemes will showcase IP69K edge AI computers and lightweight AI mission computers for drones and robotics at Paris Air Show 2025

Jun 16, 2025
New Autonomous Robot Streamlines Outdoor Data Collection Tasks

Canadian robotics company Optimotive introduces the IRIS MK2, a rugged autonomous robot built to automate data collection in demanding outdoor environments

Jun 16, 2025
Enhancing Point Cloud Accuracy with YellowScan’s New Smoothing Feature

YellowScan’s new Smoothing feature enhances point cloud data by reducing noise, improving accuracy, and preserving critical details for better geospatial analysis

Jun 16, 2025

Featured Content

MEMS DC Accelerometers from SDI Deliver Superior Performance for Unmanned Systems

SDI's MEMS DC accelerometers offer a robust solution for unmanned aerial, ground, and underwater vehicles, providing precise static and dynamic motion sensing, crucial for autonomous navigation, attitude feedback, and structural monitoring

Jun 12, 2025
Calian GNSS Unveils New Anti-Jamming CRPA with XF+ Filtering

Calian GNSS has introduced the CR8894SXF+, a compact CRPA antenna with in-band null forming and XF+ filtering for resilient GNSS performance in interference-prone environments

Jun 06, 2025
Honeywell Introduces HG3900 Tactical-Grade IMU with Enhanced Sensor Accuracy

Honeywell has introduced the HG3900 IMU, a MEMS-based device with tactical-grade accuracy, offering significant SWaP advantages for precision navigation systems

Jun 05, 2025
Advancing Unmanned Systems Through Strategic Collaboration UST works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive unmanned systems capabilities forward.