Unmanned Systems Technology 038 l Skyeton Raybird-3 l Data storage l Sea-Kit X-Class USV l USVs insight l Spectronik PEM fuel cells l Blue White Robotics UVIO l Antennas l AUVSI Xponential Virtual 2021 report

12 UAV Navigation has developed a reconfigurable flight control solution for VTOL platforms (writes Nick Flaherty). The software combines flight control elements from its horizontal fixed-wing aircraft and rotocopter hybrid platforms, and is configurable from the GCS according to requirements. “One of the main challenges with VTOL platforms is the transition from vertical to horizontal flight, and vice versa,” said Miguel Angel de Frutos at UAV Navigation. “With our flight control solution for VTOL, we not only facilitate and automate this critical moment as much as possible but also optimise the use of the battery, and incorporate a series of safety and emergency procedures that allow the aircraft to always reach a safe landing zone and overcome possible errors in the engine.” The hardware, developed in- house, has Mil-Std 810F and 461F certifications, meaning that the system has been tested by an independent body to confirm its behaviour in adverse conditions. The software can be configured via a GCS according to the type of VTOL platform. The most-used platform is a fixed-wing multi-rotor hybrid, with between four and eight vertical fixed motors in an X configuration for the VTOL and one main engine for horizontal flight. The software combines the flight control from the fixed-wing platform with VTOL and hover functions. VTOL-agnostic controller Airborne vehicles June/July 2021 | Unmanned Systems Technology A UAV has made its first commercial flight with a tethered mechanism for making residential deliveries (writes Nick Flaherty). The Rapid Delivery System (RDS1), developed by A2Z Drone Delivery in the US, uses a freefall mechanism to lower a package to the ground in 4 seconds from a height of 45 m. A brake on the tether linked to the UAV’s altimeter delivers a package weighing up to 2 kg to the ground. An electromagnet releases the package. This allows the UAV to hover at a safe height while allowing an operating range of 3.5 km when mounted on a DJI M600 Pro UAV. Manual delivery control is backed up by an algorithm that calculates the payload freefall and when to slow the descent to the ground, while a passive payload lock protects against package loss in the event of a power fluctuation. “The capabilities of the RDS1 were tailor-made for this type of residential delivery, where our tethered freefall mechanism can accurately and quickly deposit payloads while hovering far above people, homes, trees and utility wires,” said Aaron Zhang, founder of A2Z. To ensure payloads are secure throughout the flight, the RDS1 has some integrated safeguards. An automated pre-flight weight check ensures the flight platform is not overloaded, before the RDS1’s built-in payload status detection tracks the payload during flight and delivery. Should the UAV experience an emergency, the payload and tether can be abandoned to save the aircraft and protect people and property on the ground. Tether delivers on orders Airborne vehicles UAV Navigation’s flight control software can be configured according to the type of VTOL platform The RDS1 tether allows fast deliveries from a safe height