Volz Servos has developed customised actuator technology to support the mission-critical requirements of Quantum Systems’ Twister short-range reconnaissance electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The Twister system is a vertical take-off and landing aircraft with fixed wings and two rotors, designed for autonomous operation in confined spaces as small as 2 x 2 metres. Within this architecture, Volz Servos’ DA 15-N servos control the aircraft’s two wing flaps, a critical function in an aircraft where, during forward flight, steering is controlled solely by two ailerons on the wings.
Phillipp Volz, CEO of Volz Servos, commented, “Twister is basically a vertical take-off and landing aircraft with fixed wings and two rotors. During flight, steering is controlled solely by two ailerons on the wings — and this is why our servos are absolutely crucial for Twister’s performance and reliability.”
To meet the specific requirements of the project, Volz Servos implemented the ARINC 825 CAN protocol in its DA 15-N servos. This aviation-oriented protocol enhances the CAN standard with additional rules for timing, prioritisation and reliability, making it suitable for certification in aerospace applications.
Reliability is particularly critical given Twister’s intended operating conditions. The aircraft is designed for autonomous vertical take-off and landing in confined environments and for use in demanding operational scenarios, where precise and dependable control of flight surfaces is essential.
Twister is designed for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions and offers advanced capabilities including navigation in GPS-denied environments through the fusion of visual data and inertial sensors. In such scenarios, reliable autonomous and remote control becomes even more important.
The system has a maximum take-off weight of 4 kg, a flight endurance of up to 90 minutes and a range of 15 km. Compact enough to fit into a rucksack and deployable by a single operator, it enables real-time aerial reconnaissance in both day and night conditions.
Benedikt Kössinger, Head of Supply Chain Management at Quantum Systems, added, “Our electric vertical take-off and landing systems boast industry-leading endurance, ease of operation, and reliability. And this reliability obviously extends down to the individual component. That is precisely why it is extremely important for us to have partners such as Volz Servos in our supply chain. Here, we know that we are getting exactly the quality we need for demanding missions.”
The collaboration highlights the importance of robust, high-performance actuator technology in enabling reliable flight performance for the next generation of autonomous aerospace systems.
