The Polish company Ekolot Aerospace and Defense (EAD) carried out the first test flights of the unmanned aircraft ZEUSdemonstrating stable flight and autonomous operation in the CTOL configuration.
According to the site Defence Blogthe information was shared by EPKR Spotters. “We have completed the first test flights of the ZEUS. The drone, controlled by Kuba Krukierek, took off in CTOL configuration, reached a stable altitude and maintained precise flight control. The first flight in CTOL mode also took place on Friday AUTO for an aircraft of this size at EPKR.”
The Spanish company UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía said it has partnered with Ekolot Aerospace & Defense to integrate their flight control systems into the platform ZEUSincluding driving, navigation and control functions.
According to the company, the family ZEUS includes different configurations with maximum take-off weights between 100 and 250 kg for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) variants and up to 350 kg for conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) versions.
The system uses a modular design based on a single fuselage that can be retrofitted with VTOL or CTOL conversion kits. Payload ranges from 30 to 120 kg for VTOL variants and up to 150 kg for configuration CTOL ZEUS Gdesigned for long duration missions between 12 and 24 hours, depending on load and configuration.
Il ZEUS it was designed to operate from remote or limited locations without the need for prepared runways, while maintaining the range benefits of a fixed-wing aircraft. This allows operators to deploy the system in areas where infrastructure is limited or threatened.
The company said the system is capable of operating in environments where satellite navigation signals are degraded or unavailable, using high-precision inertial navigation and a visual navigation system, a feature highly relevant in modern combat scenarios.
Photo: Ekolot Aerospace and Defense. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
