Hybrid VTOL with separate lift and cruise motors for autonomous missions
A hybrid VTOL aircraft that uses four dedicated motors for vertical lift and a separate pusher motor for forward cruise — no tilt-rotor mechanism required. This configuration simplifies the mechanical design while maintaining full VTOL capability.
Four motors mounted in a quadrotor arrangement provide vertical take-off, landing, and hover. A fifth pusher motor on the tail provides forward thrust for efficient cruising flight. The absence of moving tilt mechanisms reduces mechanical complexity and maintenance requirements compared to tilt-rotor designs.
The aircraft runs PX4 firmware and supports fully autonomous point-to-point navigation. Mission planning is handled through standard waypoint protocols, with automatic transition between multirotor and fixed-wing flight modes. The system can execute pre-programmed missions including take-off, waypoint navigation, loiter, and landing without pilot intervention.
With a separate lift-cruise configuration, the aircraft achieves approximately 45 minutes of flight time by optimising the propulsion system for each flight phase — high-thrust motors for lift and an efficient pusher for cruise.