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Transitioning military drone uses rotor backwash for better flight
Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has successfully flown an electric-powered, 115-lb (52-kg) autonomous drone that uses what it calls a "rotor blown wing" to fly like both a helicopter and an airplane and can be scaled for larger airframes.
View gallery - 7 images Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has successfully flown an electric-powered, 115-lb (52-kg) autonomous drone that uses what it calls a "rotor blown wing" to fly like both a helicopter and an airplane and can be scaled for larger airframes. In addition, Sikorsky says its RBW design also helps tail-sitter or tilt-rotor aircraft and similar vehicles have smoother transitions from hovering to slow horizontal flight to cruising speeds. "Our rotor blown wing has demonstrated the control power and unique handling qualities necessary to transition repeatedly and predictably from a hover to high-speed wing-borne cruise flight, and back again," said Sikorsky Innovations Director Igor Cherepinsky.
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