Back to the catalog
Issued patent
Small Compound-Wing VTOL UAS
An issued NASA patent from the Technology Transfer catalog.
About this technology
Overview
Typically small UAS, because of their light weight and small size, have difficulty flying in adverse environmental conditions, especially gusty winds. In some cases, small UAS such as multi-copters can handle somewhat higher gust conditions, but have limited endurance. Fixed-wing configurations have good endurance but need large open areas for launch and recovery and are typically not very wind-robust. This vehicle combines VTOL convenience with fixed-wing endurance while enhancing operations in adverse environments.