Automation

North Carolina city’s first drone delivery service marks the latest growth for the partners.

Aerospace unit builds propulsion, power, cockpit, navigation, and other systems for all kinds of aircraft, from commercial airliners to spaceships.

Skyryse, developer of the SkyOS operating system for flight, will work with the military to equip the utility helicopters with automated systems.

Manufacturer demonstrates its R550 Sprayhawk, an automated helicopter built from the Robinson R44 airframe, at the NAAA’s Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth.

The system will use pilot gestures to manipulate flight controls.

The indefinite delivery indefinite quantity agreement gives the partners flexibility to develop and test systems as needed.

The company’s ElevateOS offering comprises a core operating system, rider and pilot apps, and matching engine that connects users to flights much like ride-hailing services.

Company engineers observed pilots as they performed a variety of tasks, collecting data to identify where automation can be most helpful.

The DA62’s computer-controlled, liquid-cooled diesel engines reduce the pilot’s workload.

The manufacturer says the technology is designed to accelerate its path to supplemental type certification with regulators in the U.S. and New Zealand.