US Air Force Successfully Makes First eVTOL Flight Using Remote Control

The US Air Force recently announced that it successfully completed the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) flight using remote control in December last year. 

The move comes as part of the agency’s AFWERX’s technology accelerator program, which aims to encourage private firms to come up with innovative technologies through the use of military contracts. 

According to New Atlas, the Kitty Hawk Heaviside electric aircraft was flown by Captain Terrace McKenna at the corporation’s facility in Palo Alto, California, after a four-day training program.

Then two-seater electric plane features eight variable-pitch electric propellers with a reverse-sweep wing, and was named after English engineer Oliver Heaviside.

As per Auto Evolution, it can reach a top speed of 180 mph while traveling 100 miles on a single charge.

Attendees were taught how to fly remotely using Buddy Box, a special learning device that allows the student to steer the aircraft while the instructor can take over the controls at any time. 

The agency revealed that the Heaviside’s Ground Control System enables the aircraft to be pre-programmed with a flight plan that it can then travel on autonomously, with personnel ready to take over remotely should an incident occur mid-flight.

“It’s a different paradigm for operating the aircraft. A crucial thing that the RC controller allows you to do that a completely unmanned or a completely ground-controlled station based approach does not is [gain] that intuition about the flight characteristics,” explained McKenna.

The Kitty Hawk is currently working with the FAA on being certified, and could be used in the future to transport emergency deliveries, injured personnel, or help evacuate people stuck in disaster zones.

[via New Atlas and Auto Evolution, cover image via US Air Force]