DARPA TERN gets a concept video

DARPA TERN gets a concept video

There seems to be a civil /military divide opening up. The military is siding towards tail sitters and the civilian world separate lift thrust. The only current exception to the rule being the Aerovel Flexrotor.

Either approach has merits. A tailsitter is way more efficient in horizontal flight but difficult to land in high winds vertically.

Separate lift thrust drags the multirotor around it with it once the take off is out the way and that is a waste of payload.

It will be interesting to see how the vertical capable fixed wing market looks in five years time.

Gary Mortimer

Founder and Editor of sUAS News | Gary Mortimer has been a commercial balloon pilot for 25 years and also flies full-size helicopters. Prior to that, he made tea and coffee in air traffic control towers across the UK as a member of the Royal Air Force.