VSR700 UAS performs first flight test
NewsNovember 14, 2019
FRANCE. The prototype of Airbus Helicopters? VSR700 unmanned aerial system (UAS) has performed its first flight at a test center near Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. The VSR700 performed several take-offs and landings with the longest flight lasting around 10 minutes.
In accordance with the airworthiness authority that provided the flight clearance, the VSR700 was tethered with 30-meter cables to secure the flight test zone. The subsequent phases of the flight test program will now evolve toward free flight, and then progressively open the flight envelope.
According to Airbus, the VSR700 is a UAS capable of carrying multiple full size naval sensors for extended periods and can operate in existing ships, alongside a helicopter, with a low logistical footprint.
Compared to the demonstrator that first flew in 2017, the VSR700 prototype has a specialized set of avionics and an advanced flight control system, a payload bay in place of the pilot station designed to manage mission equipment, as well as a more aerodynamic shape.
