Piasecki Aircraft has completed initial testing of the first autonomous autogyro as part of the competition to develop the Class III unmanned air vehicle for the US Army's Future Combat System (FCS) programme. In the first phase of testing, the technology demonstrator - based on a commercial kit autogyro - completed multiple autonomous flights, says Piasecki.
The modified Barnett BRC540 autogyro is demonstrating technology for Piasecki's Air Guard contender for the FCS UAV requirement, the only autogyro in the Class III competition. A downselect from four contenders for the next phase of the Class III project is set to be announced in early October.
Although vertical take-off and landing is not a Class III requirement, the Air Guard provides a "near-VTOL" capability that avoids the need for launch or recovery equipment and allows operation from any kind of terrain, Piasecki says. The vehicle autorotates to a near-vertical landing, before its rotor is braked and stopped.
The FCS Class III requirement calls for four UAVs to be transported in a standard ISO shipping container. This is achieved in the Piasecki design by folding the rotor mast down, sliding the landing gear inwards to reduce its track and removing the shroud around the rear-mounted propeller. The Air Guard is powered by a heavy-fuel engine providing a 10h endurance with a 100kg (215lb) payload.
Source: Flight International
