Uncrewed Systems Technology 047 l Aergility ATLIS l AI focus l Clevon 1 UGV l Geospatial insight l Intergeo 2022 report l AUSA 2022 report I Infinity fuel cell l BeeX A.IKANBILIS l Propellers focus I Phoenix Wings Orca

24 A s reported in the past in this publication, the traditional helicopter configuration has long left something to be desired among military and civilian end-users. Commonly cited weaknesses include the maintenance costs of their swashplate and other moving parts, the vulnerability of the tail rotor, and a tendency towards mechanical failures in mid-flight. Meanwhile, well-established alternatives have failed to establish themselves. For example, autogyros are not actually capable of VTOL but fly through autorotation, spinning and providing lift only passively as the air flows through them. They are also not especially energy efficient, owing to the drag and back- forces generated during autorotation. Against this backdrop, Jim Vander Mey – the CEO and founder of UAV manufacturer Aergility – was motivated to design a VTOL system that is simpler and safer than a helicopter, and more efficient and capable than an autogyro. He examined how autogyro technology might be used towards that goal, eventually coming up with a form of flight and power control that Aergility calls “managed autorotation” (MAT). An aircraft that flies using MAT uses multiple vertically disposed rotors to perform all the roll, pitch and yaw movements. The rotors are spun by electric motors that incorporate fixed-pitch propellers and no swashplate, meaning no notably vulnerable points of failure. During cruise, around half the lift from MAT is achieved using fixed wings, with the rotors mounted near the wingtips and on booms installed along the length of either wing; the rest of the lift comes from the rotors, and forward motion comes from a powered pusher or tractor propeller. That enables an autorotation pitch very close to 0 º , and the inherent balancing of the craft’s rotors allow Cost and energy efficiency are the watchwords for this cargo-carrying UAV, thanks to a technology called managed autorotation. Rory Jackson reports Freight agent December/January 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology