Unmanned Systems Technology 008 | Alti Transition UAS | Ground control systems | Xponential 2016 report | Insitu Orbital N20 | UAVs | Solar power | Oceanology International 2016 report

flight test campaign, some changes to the structure are already planned. The company is considering extending the wingspan for clients who need more lift or greater endurance, which will be achieved by using larger winglets. The first prototype had the rear VTOL motors mounted on the removable tail booms, but production versions will have the motors integrated into the main fuselage mouldings, with the tail booms inserted behind them. This allows the main body to be flown as a multi-rotor craft without the empennage, says de Villiers. The twin tail booms will therefore be slightly shorter, starting directly behind the rear quadcopter motors. What de Villiers describes as some minor components and how they will be mounted are also changing. For example, the current nose cone is completely detachable, but in production versions it will be integrated into the airframe, with access to the batteries and avionics systems inside it provided by a hatch formed by the top half of the nose. Some changes were considered and rejected. For example, while manned helicopters and VTOL aircraft routinely use short take-off runs to enable them to get airborne with larger payloads or more fuel, the Alti Transition forgoes this option. “We thought initially of adding wheels for short- run take-offs, but what we are trying to do with this is pure and simple VTOL. In all our tests there has not been any need for a take-off run,” de Villiers says. Future enhancements Alti is integrating sensors to detect wind direction, and is working to enable the operator to enter wind speed and direction data before the mission so that the autopilot will ensure that the aircraft always transitions between rotor- and wing-borne flight into the wind before turning onto its intended course for the mission or for landing. Successful development of this capability might also lead to removing the rudders, which don’t really come into play in forward flight, de Villiers says, but do help during transitions if they are not carried out into the wind. The design is also scalable, and the company is looking to develop larger variants in the future. As the Alti Transition is still under development, production time has not been pinned down yet, but de Villiers is confident that it should not take longer than a week or two to assemble after the airframe is made, which should take about two to four weeks depending on quantities. He says, “I’ve always had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted. The shape and form of the airframe may have changed, but the Transition is very close to what I had envisioned – compact, light, with features and performance unlike anything else in its class or price range.”