Sikorsky has successfully flown its drone prototype that lifts off vertically like a helicopter but cruises like an airplane.
The battery-powered, 52kg uncrewed aerial system (UAS) features what Sikorsky, an arm of defence firm Lockheed Martin, calls “rotor-blown wing” design.
This design essentially directs the backwash from the twin propellers or rotors over the wing surfaces, reducing drag and enabling lift by increasing the velocity of the air.
The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) prototype, which features a 10.3ft (three metre) composite wingspan, has been put through a number of flight tests to assess its operational stability and manoeuvrability when transitioning between flight modes.
In January 2025, it successfully completed more than 40 take-offs and landings.
During these test fights, the aircraft performed 30 transitions between helicopter and airplane modes. In horizontal flight mode, the aircraft reached a top cruise speed of 86 knots.
Simultaneous wind tunnel tests were...