The Polish company Ekolot Aerospace and Defense (EAD) has carried out the first test flights with the unmanned aerial vehicle ZEUSand demonstrated stable flight and autonomous operation in CTOL configuration.
according to Defence Blog was the information shared by EPKR Spotters. “We have carried out the first test flights with ZEUS. The drone, piloted by Kuba Krukierek, took off in CTOL configuration, reached a stable altitude and maintained precise flight control. Friday also saw the first flight in AUTO-mode for an aircraft of this size place at EPKR.»
The Spanish company UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía stated that it has entered into a collaboration with Ekolot Aerospace & Defense to integrate its flight control systems into ZEUSplatform, including functions for management, navigation and control.
According to the company covers ZEUS-family a range of configurations with a maximum take-off weight between 100 and 250 kilograms for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) variants, and up to 350 kilograms for conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) versions.
The system uses a modular design based on a single basic airframe that can be customized with conversion kits for VTOL or CTOL. The payload varies from 30 to 120 kilograms for VTOL variants and up to 150 kilograms for CTOL ZEUS Gconfiguration, which is designed for long-duration missions of between 12 and 24 hours, depending on the load and setup.
ZEUS is designed to operate from remote or confined areas without the need for prepared runways, while retaining the endurance advantages of a fixed-wing aircraft. This makes it possible to deploy the system in areas where the infrastructure is limited or threatened.
The company stated that the system can operate in environments where satellite navigation signals are weakened or unavailable, using high-precision inertial navigation and a visual navigation system, which is highly relevant in modern combat scenarios.
Photo: Ekolot Aerospace and Defense. This content was created with the help of KI and reviewed by the editors.
