AERIE offers new long endurance VTOL UAV

7th September 2011 - 16:13 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Austrian “in foundation” company "AERIE“, announces its creation within the next weeks, as well as the release of its first VTOL Long Endurance product, the “SWIFT”. That will be followed by the “DIPTERON”, a advanced version with more carry capabilities, and the “KESTREL”, a complete operation system in accordance with the customers wish within the next 3 years.

The Company wants to fill the gap on the market for Long Endurance VTOL intelligent Aircraft, starting with 24 hours using the SWIFT. “We have studied the market for years. There is a need for VTOL aircraft with long endurance in the UAV market. AERIE developed their hybrid technology for that need and is now getting into this market” says Johannes Reiter, CEO of the company. “We come from aviation and know what’s going on”. The team has experience in certification of General Aviation Aircaft and propulsion systems. It developed a high value hybrid combination between the most efficient vertical aircraft, the helicopter, with the most efficient cruise configuration, a high wing span aircraft, like a high altitude fixed wing observer.

AERIE uses the same wings for hover and flight. This makes the SWIFT a very light weight VTOL with full abilities in both operation modes (hover and cruise).

Their team is also experienced in servicing and certifyication of airborne observing systems, and has a partner for processing airborne complex data.

Source: AERIE