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

25 it to fly with whatever pitch attitude is most efficient, eliminating the typical inefficiencies of autogyro operation. Also, as the aircraft changes attitude or is cruising, any of the rotors (while unpowered for autorotation) can also be used as generators. As the air spins them, the motion is converted into electricity to recharge the onboard batteries: essentially it’s an aerial form of regenerative braking. In short, the MAT-powered aircraft takes off and lands using its electric motors like a multi-rotor, flies using the air blowing through its unpowered rotors like an autogyro (with help from its fixed wings like a plane) and performs attitude changes by occasionally powering its rotors. “To develop my concept for managed autorotation, I first built a custom flight controller in Python in order to interface with X-Plane’s flight simulator software; that’s where I originated the flight controller that I then filed a patent on in August 2014,” Vander Mey recounts. Having affirmed that his flight controller architecture worked, he showed it to aviation expert Larry Yonge, who liked what he saw. The two then formed Aergility in May 2015 to develop the concept into a product. That product is now the ATLIS UAV, a 1550 lb (703 kg) MTOW hybrid-electric aircraft designed as a cost- and energy- efficient autonomous air freight solution. It runs on a microturbine engine and carries up to 295 kg of fuel and payload, so if for instance around 200-205 kg of cargo and 90-95 kg of fuel are loaded, it can deliver that cargo up to 450 miles (724 km) away. If an optional auxiliary fuel tank is installed, taking the UAV’s fuel capacity from 94.6 to 125 litres, that range rises to nearly 966 km – and of course, it will take off and land vertically in any space accommodating its 10.15 m wingspan. It cruises at 193 kph and has a Aergility ATLIS | Dossier Uncrewed Systems Technology | December/January 2023 The ATLIS combines aspects of autogyro flight with multi-rotor flight (Images courtesy of Aergility)