The concept of a VTOL with fixed-wing airplane flight is not new. Hell, even a cartoon like M.A.S.K. had this concept with the Switchblade. Meanwhile, in real life, VTOLs with fixed-wing flight have proven to be costly to develop, as demonstrated by the V-22 Osprey. Where it used to take a military budget to build one, several private aerospace outfits have now managed to do it. One such company is Pterodynamics.
No, it’s not the name of a robotic Pterodactyl, but its Transwing VTOL UAS aircraft may very well be the Pterodactyl of the modern world. Unlike Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X5 eVTOL, NASA’s Greased Lightning GL-10 VTOL drone, and many others, the Transwing is super compact—thanks to its unique folding wing design.
Unlike traditional tilt-wing or lift-and-cruise VTOLs, the aircraft’s Transwing system allows the wings to fold vertically during takeoff and landing. As it transitions to forward flight, the wings gradually unfold even as it continues to climb, and just like that, it transforms into a fixed-wing aircraft propelled by four rotors.
In between, there’s no loss of control. It almost seems like magic. The Transwing allows for a compact vehicle on the ground while achieving VTOL-to-fixed-wing transition in the safest way possible. In addition, the patented design—which also includes a specially developed suite of avionics that makes the smooth hover-to-forward-flight (and vice versa) transition possible—boasts superior efficiency, enabling longer range and higher speeds.
Best of all, it’s scalable. The UAS can be scaled up for large aircraft, making it adaptable for cargo transport, military applications (but of course), and even air taxis.
The company was founded in 2017 and is now developing the fifth-generation Transwing (P5). The P4 Transwing, which completed sea trials in November 2023, is an all-electric aircraft with a modest MTOW (maximum takeoff weight) of 90 pounds (41 kg) and a max payload of 15 pounds (6.8 kg). It’s a small aircraft, measuring 6.9 feet by 4.2 feet (2.1 x 1.3 m), with a cruise speed of 60 knots (31 m/s) and a flight time of 70 minutes.
The P5 Transwing, meanwhile, is a larger aircraft measuring 12.8 feet by 7.2 feet (3.9 x 2.2 m), with a beefier MTOW of 320 pounds (145 kg) and a max payload of 50 pounds (23 kg). Its cruise speed tops out at 70 knots (36 m/s), and it has a longer range of 400 nautical miles (740 km)—thanks to its hybrid drive system.
If you are down, you may learn more about the Transwing development at pterodynamics.com.
Image: Pterodynamics.
