Avilus has completed the maiden flight of its first-generation Wespe “9Y-01” tactical multi-role helicopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), demonstrating stable and controlled flight performance.
Remotely piloted from the RasCore Ground Control System, the flight included hovering as well as forward and lateral maneuvers, confirming the performance of the aircraft’s flight control system.
Wespe is designed for missions including tactical resupply, casualty evacuation and close air support. The platform is available in piston and turbine-powered variants, offering payload capacities of up to 200 kg and 350 kg respectively.
Designed for land and marine operations, Wespe incorporates redundant avionics, primary and secondary flight control systems, autorotation capability, and GNSS-independent, jamming-resistant navigation. The modular platform can also be configured with mission-specific payloads including air-dropped resupply speedbags, electro-optical systems and a dedicated medical evacuation cabin.
Following the successful test, the next phase of development will focus on expanding the flight envelope and integrating mission control capabilities.
Carlos Hünteler, Chief Engineer Wespe at Avilus, commented, “The crew and the aircraft were ready, and the flight confirmed that confidence. We are looking forward to the next steps in development and flight testing.”
