AVTOL: Advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing

The Advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing (AVTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) is the follow-on Phase II SBIR effort using the point of departure Group 1 aircraft conceptually designed during the G1-RADUASPhase I trade study. The purpose of this phase is to further develop AVTOL technologies, build 2 operationally relevant prototypes with integrated payloads, and insert this technology into the DoD. AVTOL UAS is a new aircraft species and is the most efficient VTOL platform by comparison. The AVTOL concept marries the versatility of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) of typical VTOL aircraft with the endurance performance of typical fixed wing aircraft. The AVTOL configuration requires no infrastructure to launch and land, which is a capability unmatched by most fixed wing UAS platforms. Unlike tilt-rotor UASs, the simplified design of the AVTOL platform results in significant weight savings for more payload and range.The AVTOL concept is unique in that it uses the same small propellers on the wing to both rotate the wing as a main rotor in hover mode and propel the aircraft forward with the wing locked in airplane flight mode. Fixed wing efficiency with VTOL flexibility and utility is a perfect fit for demanding delivery requirements.