The use of multirotor platforms for inspection, photogrammetry and cartography operations is amply widespread. This is due to its versatility and the ability for performing vertical takeoff and landing. But these platforms have the disadvantage of having a limited endurance. To overcome this challenge, the development of new designs of VTOL UAVs with horizontal flight capacity is currently booming.

VTOL UAVs are able to perform vertical takeoff and landing. Being perfectly able to take off and land in confined and inaccessible spaces. In the same way, these aircraft have the capability to perform horizontal flights with a great endurance. It makes them suitable for perform mapping of areas covering hundreds of hectares in a single operation and reaching breakneck speeds in comparison with other kinds of drones.

VTOL UAVs platform designs

There are a wide variety of VTOL UAVs platforms, being common:

  • Fixed wings aircraft with forward and vertical rotors.
  • Helicopters with retractable wings and forward propeller.
  • Fixed wings with vertical central and advance rotor.
  • Airplanes with in-flight wing and rotor tilting.
  • Airplanes with in-flight propeller tilting.
  • Airplanes with fixed rotor position and in-flight tilting.

Advantages of the integration of Veronte Autopilot in VTOL UAVs

Veronte Autopilot has already been successfully integrated into several VTOL UAV projects. Always adapting performance to the aircraft structure and end user needs. Some examples are Pelican aircraft (Dronetech), HADA project (INTA), …

Veronte Autopilot is compatible with any VTOL configuration, whatever is its structure. This is possible thanks to the versatility given by the configurable flight phases and control channels in the autopilot. This adaptability permits the system to perform fully autonomous flights, performing smooth and perfect transitions between horizontal and vertical flight. At the time it makes possible to perform landings and takeoffs in both, vertical and horizontal, flight modes.