Sikorsky Debuts 'Rotor Blown Wing' UAS

Drone successfully flies in both helicopter and fixed-wing flight modes.

Kimberly Johnson

Monday, March 10, 2025 at 03:44 PM ET

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Kimberly Johnson

Sikorsky demonstrates a rotor blown wing tail sitter drone can transition between helicopter and fixed wing flight modes. [Courtesy: Sikorsky]

Key Takeaways:

Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky successfully flew its "rotor blown wing" uncrewed aerial system, demonstrating stable operation in both helicopter (VTOL) and fixed-wing flight modes.
The drone performed 30 seamless transitions between modes, reached a top cruise speed of 86 knots, and proved its design has potential to scale to larger sizes.
This innovative UAS combines helicopter and airplane characteristics, offering diverse applications from naval operations and search & rescue to military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

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Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky has successfully flown its “rotor blown wing” uncrewed aerial system in both helicopter and fixed-wing flight modes, it announced Monday.

The 115-pound twin-prop drone with a 10-foot wingspan takes off and lands like a helicopter from a tail-sitting configuration, transitioning and cruising in forward flight like an airplane. The “rotor blown wing” term stems from the constant airflow from the proprotor wash across the wing, according to the company.