Airline PteroDymanics demonstrated advanced automatic vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS capabilities transwing, in him Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event (HFCE) of United States Naval Forces Southern Command, took place in the island city of Key West in the state of Florida.
The exercise took place on board an expeditionary class fast transport ship Spearhead USNS Burlington and its objective was to evaluate a combination of manned and unmanned systems to improve the operational capabilities of the United States Fourth Fleet. He Transwing She completed a total of nine test flights, verifying her autonomous launch and recovery capabilities and fleet integration for ship-to-ship-to-shore logistics in critical maritime replenishment missions.
Highly efficient VTOL platform
PteroDymanics designed the Transwing with a focus on overcoming the inherent shortcomings of other VTOL systems, combining the speed, range and endurance of fixed-wing aircraft with superior vertical takeoff and landing performance in a simple, autonomous platform.
This UAS model deploys its wings to smoothly and quickly transition between vertical and horizontal flight, achieves higher energy efficiency and achieves higher flight and climb speeds and better stability and tolerance to wind gusts.
The aircraft stands out for its small size, both in storage and in composition. Thanks to its high weight-to-thrust ratio and integrated landing gear, it can take off and return to the ground autonomously, without the need for launching and recovery equipment.
UAS Transwing. Signature: PteroDymanics
The company offers three models with different capacities and performances. It is the smallest X-P4, designed for logistics tasks and powered by an electric motor, has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) 38 kilograms and can carry a payload of seven kilograms in a 0.03 cubic meter bay. With a wingspan of four meters, it can maintain a cruising speed of 60 knots (112 kilometers per hour) and achieve a practical flight ceiling of more than 15,000 feet (4.5 kilometers).
Second, it emphasizes X-P5, powered by a hybrid engine and multi-mission capability, with a maximum take-off weight of 145 kilograms and the ability to carry a payload of 23 kilograms in a 0.12 cubic meter bay. The medium version has a wingspan of seven meters, can reach a cruising speed of 70 knots (130 kilometers per hour) and a flight level of FL180.
The biggest variant is the so-called X-P6, It is powered by a turbo generator, has a maximum take-off weight of 600 kilograms, a payload of 100 kilograms and a volume of 0.45 cubic meters. It is capable of cruising at 100 knots (185 kilometers per hour) and reaching flight level FL180.
Integration into the vehicle fleet for logistics tasks
He Hybrid fleet campaign event created a test bed for multiple manufacturers to evaluate the operational capabilities of their new systems in a real-world environment. In addition, it served as an opportunity for senior United States Navy managers to validate the systems and propose their integration in support of the fleet.
The tests allowed PteroDynamics to obtain critical data about the operation of the platform Transwing and on issues such as the integration of UAS into ship operations, autonomous take-off and landing from the sea, transition from vertical to horizontal flight, and cruise speed performance and navigation from a moving ship.
Company Vice President for Engineering, Tim Whitehand, stated that “participation in Hybrid fleet campaign event “brought the company closer to its goal of providing the Navy with an automated, flexible and scalable delivery capability. Whitehand added that “the flight tests aboard the USNS Burlington provided a unique and valuable opportunity to recover data from the system. Transwing in a real operating environment, which will enable development to be accelerated and generate more innovation.”