Staged VTOL Vehicles for Long Range Logistics and Runway Free Operations

Talyn is a staged, battery eVTOL, vehicle system that decouples the vertical and horizontal phases of flight completely, allowing each phase to be performed at maximum efficiency. It has a carrier vehicle in a lift+cruise configuration which performs VTOL operations at the origin and destination, and an aerodynamically efficient airplane that can fly long distances at high speeds. By doing so, we can achieve more than triple the range of any other battery eVTOL, which is our key differentiator.  The motivation behind Talyn is to overcome the physics that severely limit the range of battery eVTOL aircraft. The primary range limitation is having to carry the VTOL rotors and motors in horizontal flight. Even in aerodynamic pods or folded up, they add significant drag. They also are heavy, and that mass directly removes available battery mass from the system. Lastly, VTOL landings require high power output from batteries, which a run down battery cannot achieve, meaning much of the battery energy must be ‘left in the tank’ on other designs, significantly limiting how far they can be drained. Steady, lower power horizontal flight does not place a restriction on usable battery fraction. These limitations are all overcome with the Talyn design, enabling 3X the range. Talyn technology opens up a variety of new cases with huge benefits. As designed, it is a long range (300+ miles), battery eVTOL vehicle system with a 1000 lb+ cargo/passenger payload that can move cargo or troops with zero fuel besides electricity, in a quiet manner and with a low heat signature. We can also pair the lift vehicle with existing fixed wing airframes to enable a variety of new missions. Specific examples include enabling ISR or combat drones starting at low masses of 10’s of pounds up through Predator and larger sizes to operate without catapults or a runway. VTOL operations with fixed wing performance are now available.