Sikorsky successfully flies 'rotor blown wing' UAS prototype in two different modes

Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky successfully flew its "rotor blown wing" uncrewed aerial system prototype in both helicopter and airplane modes, the company announced today.

Weighing 115 pounds, the rotor blown wing UAS has a twin proprotor, which takes off in a fashion similar to a helicopter and can then “transition” to horizontal forward flight for “long-endurance missions,” according to the company.

Sikorsky announced in May 2024 that it was conducting flight tests of the UAS to support the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s initiative to develop vertical takeoff and landing UAS that can operate in a variety of weather conditions. The drone can be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, among other applications.

In January, Sikorsky completed more than 40 takeoffs and landings with the aircraft, including 30 transitions between helicopter and airplane modes, according to the company. It reached a cruising speed of 86 knots during its horizontal flight, and wind-tunnel tests provided “validation of the newly developed control laws by correlating them with real-world experimental data.”

Sikorsky Innovations Director Igor Cherepinsky said in a statement that the new control laws were required “for this transition maneuver to work seamlessly and efficiently.”

“The data indicates we can operate from pitching ships decks and unprepared ground when scaled to much larger sizes,” he said.