Rotor Technologies’ R220Y prototype uncrewed helicopter made its first public live flight yesterday at New Hampshire's Nashua Airport in front of about 100 people. The R220Y is a modified Robinson R22 helicopter equipped with autonomous flight controls and connected to Rotor’s Cloudpilot “on-demand piloting service that delivers flight capabilities via satellite and wireless connectivity,” according to the company.
During the live flight, the R220Y’s autonomous operation included engine start, hovering, turning, and landing during a three-minute flight.
Rotor is developing the R550X based on a Robinson R44 Raven II, which was on display during the event. During the demonstration, Rotor CEO Hector Xu announced the name of that helicopter and opened a bottle of champagne to toast the Spirit of New Hampshire with the state’s governor, Chris Sununu.
“New Hampshire has long been known for our innovative spirit,” Sununu said, “and today, a new era of aviation was ushered in right here in the Granite State. This is an exciting moment for the future of American-made aircraft.”
Without a pilot onboard, the 550X will be able to deliver a payload of 1,212 pounds at up to 150 mph and fly for more than three hours. “The R550X offers long-range VTOL capabilities beyond the reach of drones and eVTOLs,” the company said. Plans call for the helicopter to start agricultural flights later this year.