UAS maker gets NASA contract to build tilt-wing aerial vehicles
NewsDecember 20, 2022
HAMPTON, Va. Uncrewed-systems maker Advanced Aircraft Company (AAC) has won a contract from NASA to design and build tilt-wing prototype uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) according to NASA specifications.
According to the company's announcement of the NASA contract, AAC intends to exceed NASA’s technical requirements for this project by developing a unique aero-activated tilt-wing configuration that removes the usual weight and complexity drawbacks seen in mechanically actuated tilt-wing aircraft. The aircraft fuselage and wing bodies will use in part 3D printed materials and aluminum alloys for low weight, high strength, and durability while enabling rapid prototyping and limited-scale manufacturing.
AAC's use of distributed electric propulsion systems and aerodynamic airframes in its craft means that the UASs are designed for long-endurance operations and carrying multiple sensor and cargo payloads in often-austere land and maritime battlefield conditions.
