Just When You Thought You'd Seen It All... Innovators Step In and Surprise You

When ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, spent time at the Unmanned Systems 2015 Conference he saw some really interesting aircraft, but this one could be used to visualize the word, unique. Jim talked with composite engineer, Edward Stilson, of Joby Aviation. Their aim is to provide a vertical lift UAS that has extended loiter capability.

It doesn’t take long into the video before you realize something is strange about this aircraft that appears to have long wings, yet the wingtips don’t fit the standard mold. That’s because they are more than wingtips; they convert into rotor blades. A written description fails; you have to watch the video.

Jim asks about the background of the design and is told that the model on display is a small version that can grow to a larger aircraft with more than a 20-foot wingspan. The mission, according to Stilson, was to develop a larger UAS with a 22 hour loiter capability.

When Jim asked the question about where is this sort of vehicle useful, Stilson’s answer was, “where would it not be useful.” This is a must see video for anyone that is interested in new technologies.

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