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AirMule UAS takes flight

6th January 2016 - 15:30 GMT | by Shephard News Team

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Tactical Robotics’ AirMule VTOL UAS has successfully completed its first untethered flight at the Megiddo airfield in northern Israel.

The flight was conducted as part of a test campaign that will include a demonstration of the aircraft’s cargo delivery capability and a beyond line-of-sight flight in a forested area.

The AirMule is a one ton, single engine VTOL UAS. It is powered by a 730shp Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 turboshaft. Future production aircraft will use a more powerful Arriel 2 variant capable of providing 985shp at takeoff.

The UAS is designed to fly in areas where manned helicopters are unable to operate, and to operate from vessels that are too small for a standard unmanned helicopter.

The export variant of AirMule, known as Cormorant, has also achieved Category 2 certification under the international Missile Technology Control Regime.

The Cormorant variant will carry a 440kg useful load to a distance of 300km. At closer ranges higher useful loads are possible. The maximum speed of Cormorant will be 100kts and it will be able to operate at altitudes of up to 18,000ft.

Rafi Yoeli, CEO of Tactical Robotics’ parent company Urban Aeronautics, said: ‘With close to 200 flights on the AirMule prototype we are confident that this capability can be fielded in just a few years to provide breakthrough capabilities to any military force or civil agency that needs to robotically deliver systems, supplies and other provisions in and out of otherwise inaccessible environments.’

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