A tilt rotor drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that combines the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of a helicopter with the forward flight capabilities of a fixed wing aircraft.
Tilt-rotor drones are therefore capable of covering long distances efficiently without the need for a runway for take-off and landing.
Ptero Dynamics X-P6 Heavy-lift tilt-rotor drone
Vertical to Forward Flight Transition of Tilt-Rotor Drones
Commonly referred to as hybrid VTOL drones, tilt-rotor drones typically feature rotating motor and rotor assemblies to transition between vertical and forward flight. During take-off and landing the rotors point upwards, allowing the system to fly vertically and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, the rotors are tilted horizontally to transition into forward flight.
Applications for Tilt-rotor Drones
Tilt-rotor drones are highly versatile systems, well-suited to a variety of applications including surveillance, reconnaissance, cargo transport and other tasks that require the aircraft to cover long distances efficiently with the flexibility to take-off and land in tight spaces.
Dufour Aerospace’s Aero2 drone has completed its first flight test campaign with a hybrid-electric powertrain, demonstrating self-charging capabilities and successfully transitioning from vertical takeoff to forward flight
Unmanned Systems Technology showcases Airlogix's fixed-wing UAS for real-time tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) including the GOR UAS
In a total of 12 automated flights, Dufour’s team demonstrated the capabilities of unmanned tilt-wing aircraft in general and the in-house flight control system in particular
Piasecki has completed its first flight of the Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System Tilt-Duct VTOL Vehicle, designed to provide embedded multi-mission C4I, ISR, combat, and logistics
The award will enable Piasecki to demonstrate its Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) tilt-duct vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) and hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technologies
9T Labs selected as a supplier for structural composite connectors such as brackets and hinges for Aero2, Dufour Aerospace's uncrewed tilt-wing aircraft
An uncrewed, aerial vehicle with a hybrid-electric propulsion system and an aerodynamically-efficient tilt-wing design, the Aero2 is the precursor to the Aero3, a larger tilt-wing aircraft
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