FT SISTEMAS has successfully advanced in the Flight Testing campaign of its new design the FT-100FH Rotorcraft. The company is about to conclude the Visual-Line-of-Sight flight testing necessary to go further in the development, getting RBAC-E94 Beyond-Line-of-Sight flight authorization by ANAC, the Brazilian civil aviation authority.
“For a program of this complexity, the successful completion of this phase of the flight testing campaign is a testament to the expertise and team work of all involved,” said Nei Brasil, CEO of FT SISTEMAS.
FT-100FH unmanned rotorcraft design was unveiled last year by FT SISTEMAS. The company intends to request ANAC project approval for Beyond-Line-of-Sight operations respecting RBAC-E94 requirements, issued by the Brazilian aviation authority in May 2017. The current phase of flight testing is planned for maturity evaluation of basic FT-100FH designs, such as command and control, avionics, flight controls, powerplant and power transmission systems. The envelope expansion of the rotorcraft will be held during the second half 2018, aiming for a full project qualification and first deliveries for launch customers.
Composed of two main products, the FHs (Flettner Helicopter) unmanned rotorcraft are configured in intermeshing rotors, optimized for cargo loading. FT’s rotorcraft design has transport capacity, autonomy and endurance that respond to field situations requiring specific demands for greater versatility and capacity for long range missions. The new product can be used to accomplish high end homeland security and monitoring, utilities, cargo delivery, crop protection and communication relay applications. An alternate version of the rotorcraft will be available for applications that requests Visual-Line-of-Sight operations only.
The FT-100FH is a UAV rotorcraft envisioned to enhance the way the applications will be deployed. Its operational versatility allied with its mission capabilities are key points in order to accomplish with specific market demands,” said Igor Drago, lead FT-100-FH Engineer.
About FT SISTEMAS
FT SISTEMAS is a leader in light tactical UAVs, among which the aircraft model FT-100, recently used for homeland security operations in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and the new FT-200 FH, an unmanned helicopter that can reach over 100 kilometers with autonomy of over 10 hours of flight carrying up to 50kg of payload. Based in the technology hub of São José dos Campos (São Paulo), the company invests in UAV-based integrated intelligence systems. The company serves the Defense, Security, Infrastructure, Agribusiness and Environmental markets. The company is part of the Aerospace Investment Fund portfolio, a Brazilian Corporate Venture fund controlled by the aircraft manufacturer Embraer.
Source: Press Release