Tactical Robotics to expand Cormorant flight testing

Tactical Robotics is expanding the flight testing of its Cormorant drone.

The company has been expanding the flight envelope of the drone, formerly known as AirMule, during ongoing, untethered flight testing this summer, Tactical Robotics said in a statement.

The testing also involved gauging modifications that enhance the flight control and multiple sensor suite.

The Cormorant is a compact, unmanned, single-engine, VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft.  Internal lift rotors enable the Cormorant to fly inside obstructed (e.g. mountainous, wooded, urban) terrain where helicopters are unable to operate. The Cormorant is innovative due to its internal rotors and significant payload capacity that allows for the evacuation of 2 casualties as well as fast and flexible payload reconfiguration for other missions.  It is also ideally suited to special robotic operation, for example via Tele-Presence.Its primary military missions include cargo delivery, casualty evacuation, maritime missions and humanitarian relief.

On the civil side, the drone can undertake emergency response and commercial applications, including parcel delivery.

Cormorant will be able to carry payloads of up to 1,100 pounds over distances that stretch more than 30 miles.