Sikorsky Tests New Rotor Blown Wing Drone for VTOL Operations

Sikorsky has tested a new uncrewed aerial system (UAS) with a rotor blown wing, achieving over 40 take-offs and landings, including 30 transitions between helicopter and airplane modes.

The 115-pound (52 kg) prototype, powered by batteries, demonstrated stability and maneuverability across different flight regimes. The aircraft reached a top cruise speed of 86 knots in horizontal flight. Sikorsky’s rapid prototyping group, Sikorsky Innovations, developed the system and completed the test flights in January 2025.

The rotor blown wing design aims to develop next-generation vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft that combine helicopter and airplane capabilities.

The prototype features a 10.3-ft composite wingspan and is part of a broader effort to create future VTOL UAS systems for military and commercial missions. Wind tunnel tests on a full-scale model validated the new control laws needed for smooth transitions between flight modes.

Sikorsky Innovations Director Igor Cherepinsky said the data shows the aircraft can operate from pitching ship decks and unprepared ground when scaled to larger sizes. Future applications include search and rescue, firefighting monitoring, humanitarian response, and pipeline surveillance. Larger versions may support intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and crewed/uncrewed teaming missions.

All rotor blown wing variants will use Sikorsky’s MATRIX flight autonomy system for navigation. Sikorsky is also developing a 1.2-megawatt hybrid-electric demonstrator (HEX) with a tilt-wing design to carry passengers or cargo, with hover tests expected in 2027.

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