VSR700 flies fully unmanned

摘要

Airbus Helicopters' VSR700 demonstrator F-WVSR recently undertook its first fully autonomous flight from Istres in southern France. The helicopter completed a 30-minute flight, during which it successfully executed a variety of flight patterns in autonomous mode while being piloted and monitored from a ground control station located at the base. The purpose of the flight, the manufacturer said, "was to establish compliance with the demanding regulatory and safety systems necessary for future unmanned flight in France". The VSR700 undertook its first flight in 2017 as an optionally piloted vehicle with a safety pilot on board. Subsequent flights to validate the aircraft's diesel engine and automatic flight control systems have also been carried out with a pilot aboard, so the fully autonomous December 2018 flight from Istres was an important step in the system's development schedule. The next major milestone, due later this year, is the roll-out of the first fully fledged VSR700 prototype.