Israel’s APG Unveils ‘Peres’ Vertical Take-off Drones

Israeli firm APG has unveiled the Peres, an innovative family of UAVs, the first systems of its kind with four engines enabling it to transition from horizontal to vertical flight, Globes reports.

The Peres can take off and land in a five-meter (16-foot) square area and it can fly horizontally and vertically, transitioning from vertical take-off to horizontal flight and from horizontal flight to vertical landing.

According to the report, the two versions of Peres UASs have been developed, ground-tested and flight-tested. The firm is planning to design and build Peres models 3 and 4, which will weigh more than 440 lb. (200 kg) and boast flight endurance of 12 hours.

At present, APG is preparing for aviation licensing and regulatory approval for its Peres 2 UAS. It has a wingspan of more than two meters (seven feet) and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 93 lb. (42 kg). It has endurance of up to eight hours with a payload of 7¼ lb. (3.3 kg), a 93-mile (150 km) mission radius, and a cruising speed of 55 knots at an altitude of 8,000 feet with a service ceiling of 15,000 feet.

APG CEO Yair Dubester, said, "We have succeeded in a field where large companies working in this sector have had difficulties. The family of UAVs that we are unveiling will 'break the market' because the aircraft in it allow regular flights combined with the option of moving between vertical and horizontal flights while using the same engines".