Tackling Tough, Practical Missions Is a Better Driver for Long-Term Value for UAS

"I’m convinced that we will look back in the not-so-distant future and see the Transwing as a transformative technology that fueled a wave of creative innovation and problem-solving."
– Brian Newton

The Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem is undergoing a noticeable shift away from eVTOL air taxis to autonomous cargo delivery missions. eVTOL taxi companies including Lilium, Volocopter, and Kitty Hawk have shuttered operations or have been sold, Airbus has paused development of the CityAirbus NextGen prototype, and Embraer’s Eve is facing challenges. In addition to eVTOL air taxi services facing lengthy regulatory approvals, it’s difficult to see how the unit economics of these services would pencil out, at least in the near term.

That’s why practical applications of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – specifically automating cargo delivery to hard-to-reach locations – make a lot of sense. Autonomous VTOL UAS with the right capabilities for demanding missions can provide defense, public safety, and commercial operators with innovative solutions and profitable new business models that deliver tangible value. 

From day one, PteroDynamics has focused on designing and building the best autonomous VTOL UAS to deliver payloads:

These are hard problems to solve, and a better solution creates tangible and measurable market opportunities. There is a significant market opportunity, and addressing it requires a unique VTOL UAS platform capable of tackling challenging jobs. This is why I’ve always said the airplane matters, and where the Transwing shines. 

US Navy Proving Grounds

Maritime critical repair cargo resupply missions are a great example of a demanding mission that’s essential for the readiness of U.S. and allied naval forces at sea.

According to U.S. Navy data, 90% of logistical deliveries of critical parts and assemblies weigh less than 50 pounds, and 48% weigh less than one pound. Currently, crewed multimillion-dollar manned MH-60 helicopters, V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and commercial helicopters fly these missions at great expense. Using a fleet of smaller, lower-cost autonomous VTOL drones to handle a significant portion of these missions makes a lot of sense, and that is why the U.S. Military Sealift Command asked the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to spearhead the development and demonstration of these capabilities as part of the Blue Water Logistics UAS (BAWUAS) program. 

PteroDynamics has worked closely with NAWCAD since 2019 to design and demonstrate the right VTOL aircraft to solve this problem. We were recently awarded the sixth extension to our BWUAS contract to develop the next-generation Transwing VTOL UAS – the P5.  

Autonomous VTOL UAS operations in a contested maritime environment are challenging. The mission requires synchronous operations of multiple aircraft from the heaving decks of vessels underway with minimal disruption to ship operations. The UAS must navigate to a specific ship at sea, often in hostile GPS-denied environments. They must require no additional equipment for takeoff and landing, have a small footprint for efficient use of limited deck space, and be mission-ready and inexpensive to maintain. 

I am proud that out of the more than 60 UAS manufacturers involved at the beginning of the BWUAS program years ago, PteroDynamics is one of the only two currently in the program. It speaks volumes about our incredible team, the phenomenal industry partners, and the unique revolutionary design of the Transwing.

The P5 will have a maximum takeoff weight of 330 pounds and a minimum range of 400 nautical miles carrying a 50-pound payload. It will be able to operate in a broad range of environmental conditions, utilize a hybrid electric/internal combustion engine powertrain, possess detect and avoid (DDA) capabilities, and use satellite communications for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. 

The P5 Hits a Sweet Spot in the Market

The P5 will be in a league of its own, and it is clear from the interest we’re seeing that its size and performance hit a sweet spot for broader market demand. 

The groundbreaking work we’re doing to design and build a highly performant and flexible VTOL UAS platform for challenging defense applications will pay dividends for commercial, governmental, and public safety operators around the world across a number of use cases:

It goes back to our vision to leverage the advantages of the unique Transwing design to generate value for our customers with a flexible, autonomous, and less expensive solution for delivering important cargo to remote locations with limited access via roads or airstrips.  

We’re just starting to scratch the surface about how Advanced Air Mobility will change our lives. I’m convinced that we will look back in the not-so-distant future and see the Transwing as a transformative technology that fueled a wave of creative innovation and problem-solving. It all started with a practical goal of making hard jobs easier. 

Protecting the Future of Flight: The Power of Patents

"I’ve always said that the aircraft matters." – Matthew Graczyk

The advanced air mobility industry is about to explode in growth, and innovation is accelerating at a fever pitch. Advances in technology and progress in government certifications are setting the stage for new aircraft designs to have a transformative impact on many parts of the economy and people’s lives. Autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial systems (UAS) will be a big part of this transformation. 

But so many in our industry focus more on selling the promise of these aircraft's missions – air taxis, last-mile delivery, battlefield missions – rather than on the differentiating aircraft designs and the underlying innovative technologies that can deliver more efficient ways of getting those important jobs done.

Not all VTOL aircraft are the same. Let’s face it, some designs are better than others. It always surprises me when I hear companies pitching their use case rather than the advantages of their aircraft design and how it gives them an advantage in the market.

While missions are certainly important, at PteroDynamics our sights are set on developing the best VTOL aircraft in the market for each use case. Our radically different Transwing aircraft design with wings that fold to transition between configurations optimized for vertical and horizontal flight gives us several critical advantages over other VTOL aircraft designs for many of the fastest-growing mission needs. 

One look at a Transwing in flight and you know it is fundamentally different from any other VTOL platform.

In horizontal flight, it looks like a traditional fixed-wing airplane. You would never know it was a VTOL until you see the wings begin to fold back in preparation for landing. That certainly cannot be said about any other VTOL aircraft. When you see others flying, you know they are a VTOL. The aerodynamic and energy efficiency inherent in the Transwing design makes it adaptable and optimizable for different mission requirements, and its elegant simplicity makes it more reliable and easier to operate than complex VTOL UAS.

The Transwing design gives PteroDynamics an unfair advantage, and I like it that way. I am confident we have a solution that can win in the marketplace. The U.S. Navy’s positive feedback from the real-world sea trials during this year’s RIMPAC exercise and our recently announced international distribution and strategic agreements with Overwatch Group in the United Kingdom,  Cornes Technologies in Japan, and Babcock in Australia demonstrate the interest from around the world.

Protecting a Proprietary Platform 

None of the prevailing VTOL designs - tilt-wing, tilt-propulsor, tail-sitter, or lift-plus-cruise - are proprietary, but the Transwing is. Protecting the value of the Transwing aircraft design and the technology behind its flight control systems is central to our corporate strategy and shareholder value creation. Furthermore, the Transwing’s unique airframe allows for numerous patents not available to others.

We have carefully built a body of intellectual property patents across 11 territories. In total, we have six granted patents and an additional 14 pending. The first U.S. patent was granted in 2019 and provides broad protection covering the entirety of the Transwing design, with 25 apparatus and five method claims. We have two additional patents granted in the U.S., two patents granted in Japan, and one patent granted in China. 

Create, Protect, and Preserve Value

Collaboration and innovation are in our DNA. As a smaller company, PteroDynamics has been able to achieve so much so quickly by working closely with our technology and manufacturing partners in key areas that are part of the Transwing UAS platform. 

We also take a collaborative approach to licensing the Transwing to potential partners. As such,  protecting the Transwing IP with the proper patents is not only essential for us, but it is also vital to our partners who seek to preserve their value.  


The aircraft is indeed what matters. The Transwing is the foundation of the strength of our company. It requires close cooperation with customers to meet their needs and rapid design, build, test, and fly cycles to continually refine the Transwing. This results in an aircraft that can complete more effectively and efficiently the missions other manufacturers only talk about. The Transwing delivers significant value to commercial and defense operators in ways other VTOL UAS cannot, and protecting our intellectual property is how we safeguard that value for us and our customers, partners, and shareholders.

Five Key Lessons for the UAS Industry from XPONENTIAL 2024

XPONENTIAL is billed as the top-shelf yearly showcase for uncrewed technology, and this year’s show which just concluded in San Diego did not disappoint. I am a big fan of the event and a loyal repeat customer. (This was PteroDynamics’ fourth time exhibiting.) Upon reflecting on my experience and the conversations I had with customers, suppliers, engineers, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operators, and government representatives, I am struck by the differences I observed this year. Some are subtle, others are not. 

To sum it up, there was no lack of excitement, but current and future UAS operators are more focused than ever on building profitable business models with these novel solutions. The UAS industry is moving away from the exhilaration and lofty expectations of the early years to a more mature, rational business perspective. This is very positive news. 

The foot traffic at PteroDynamics’ booth was terrific. We were pleased at how impactful it was to have our Transwing aircraft on the floor for attendees to see up close the wings fold and unfold. Unlike previous years, conversations moved from what could be accomplished with such a unique aircraft to keen interest from current operators like Skyports in aircraft from UAS OEMs.

Here are my top five takeaways for the UAS industry from XPONENTIAL 2024:

  1. More About the Missions and the Capabilities to Accomplish Them, Less About Flying: Five years ago, the industry embraced a youthful optimism about novel technologies, accompanied by lofty expectations. Today, it’s more about what can be accomplished with flying, not just the novelty of automated UAS flight. There’s increasing demand for more capable UAS aircraft to execute specific missions.
  2. Market Demand Is Moving Toward More Sophisticated Use Cases: Large multinational companies are looking to use UAS aircraft to execute important missions more efficiently. I see the market moving away from last-mile delivery of consumer goods toward more sophisticated use cases, like delivery of critically needed materials at sea.

    For instance, the market opportunity for highly capable vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft to automate resupply missions for offshore energy providers or commercial shipping is tremendous. One oil and gas executive told me a story at the show. He said costly repair work involving ball bearings on an offshore oil rig came to a screeching halt because they were missing a critical part – a low-cost O-ring that they didn’t realize they needed until they were well into the repair. Scheduling an ad hoc delivery by helicopter to a destination more than a hundred miles at sea is complicated and expensive. Autonomous UAS can provide a practical, inexpensive solution to deliver parts like these within hours.
  3. Performance of UAS Aircraft Matters More Than Ever: With increased interest in more sophisticated missions, operators need UAS aircraft capable of executing specific requirements better and more efficiently. That means operational performance will differentiate market winners. PteroDynamics’ Transwing® aircraft’s revolutionary design combines the speed, range, and endurance of fixed-wing aircraft with superior VTOL performance. This allows it to overcome the inherent limitations of other VTOL designs, making it ideal for automating time-sensitive delivery of critical, high-value payloads to remote locations without airstrips in austere conditions, such as at sea.
  4. Operators Know Profitability Depends on More Than UAS Technology: Factors other than technology – especially operational efficiency – play an outsized role in making an aircraft a commercial success. For example, better cars did not make Uber a success, but operationalizing the rideshare concept did. In our industry, broader market adoption means supporting the regulatory environment and building aircraft that can be certified quickly and can fly safely and efficiently in the intended environment.

    In addition to its performance characteristics, an aircraft’s reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety ultimately dictate operational effectiveness and thus its commercial success. It’s important to remember that the purchase price of an aircraft is a fraction of the overall cost of ownership. This fact is not lost on operators that are now looking more closely at UAS aircraft to fill important mission needs.
  5. Interest is Keen from a Growing Number of Operators Outside the U.S.  In Latin America and Asia in particular, governments are proactive in nurturing the UAS industry. UAS operations and innovation are taking root in countries like Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, and Spain with companies like Speedbird Aero and Aerialoop. Operators in these countries are flying now, and many have built their own aircraft. This year at XPONENTIAL, many operators were looking for new UAS OEMs. 

My observation from XPONENTIAL 2024 is that a more rational, business-focused point of view is emerging on use cases for highly automated UAS aircraft, and what it will take to operate them profitably. This is a very positive sign that the industry is maturing. UAS manufacturers that develop aircraft to solve important problems for operators better and cheaper than conventional solutions will generate profit for the entire industry – from OEMs to suppliers to operators and investors. 

Seeing is Believing: Transwing Flies at Sea

Take a look at the video of one of the nine test flights of PteroDynamics’ autonomous Transwing® aircraft from the deck of the USNS Burlington during the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event (HFCE). The Transwing’s flight demonstrations turned heads.

We were able to test key operational capabilities:

●      Integration of the UAS with ship operations

●      Autonomous takeoff and landing from a flight deck with computer vision

●      Takeoff, landing, and transition from VTOL to cruise flight performance

●      Navigation to and from a moving ship at sea

The Navy conceived the event to test how to integrate emerging unmanned systems into fleet operations. Larger industry partners there to demonstrate automated seaborne systems and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) systems were impressed by the performance of a revolutionary UAS aircraft from a smaller vendor. 

The Transwing’s success proves that a smaller company that focuses on its core technical competencies can be nimble and innovative. Our core competencies in aero mechanical design and rapid design, build, and testing, among others, are supercharged by a shared vision and close collaboration with key partners like Allocor.tech, FlightHouse Engineering, and Applied Navigation and other strategic vendors. We’re very grateful for their partnership and dedication to helping us achieve our vision. 

Each partner focuses on a specific area of technical expertise integrated into the Transwing platform, and we all work closely together to quickly solve problems and test and iterate solutions. The result is a revolutionary autonomous aircraft that combines the speed and range of a fixed-wing plane with exceptional vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) performance in an efficient, highly automated platform. 

Our vision for the future of UAS vehicles centers on building highly adaptable autonomous VTOL aircraft that have robust capabilities to complete missions safely, reliably, and at significant cost savings to operators. Successful automated UAS aircraft like the Transwing will offer a simpler, lower-cost way to deliver critical cargo to hard to reach locations with no runways, even in austere conditions.

What I Learned from Flying the Transwing UAS from the Deck of the USNS Burlington

Over six days last October, PteroDynamics conducted nine successful flight demonstrations of its autonomous Transwing® vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft from the flight deck of the USNS Burlington during the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event (HFCE). The event was designed as a proving ground for emerging unmanned systems and their integration into fleet operations. It was also an opportunity for senior leaders from the U.S. Navy – including Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti – and 10 foreign partner countries to see the latest technology in action.  

The Transwing unmanned aerial system (UAS) takes a very different approach to overcome the inherent limitations of traditional VTOL aircraft design. It combines the speed and range of fixed-wing aircraft with exceptional VTOL performance in an efficient, highly automated platform. Its wings fold and unfold to transition smoothly between vertical and horizontal flight. With wings folded, the Transwing has a high degree of controllability and quadcopter-like handling qualities. This gives it excellent gust tolerances and the ability to take off and land in high sea states. The Transwing then extends its wings for efficient, long-distance fixed-winged horizontal flight. 

These characteristics make the Transwing an ideal platform for maritime resupply and logistics missions not only for naval defense but also for commercial applications, including offshore oil and gas and commercial shipping.

Top Lessons from Our U.S. Navy Sea Trials

PteroDynamics is a smaller player in the UAS space, but the Transwing’s success at the HFCE surprised a lot of people. Here are my takeaways from that experience and all the hard work we and our industry partners put into that success. 

  1. The XP-4 Transwing Is a More Potent Test Platform Than I Had Imagined: The XP-4 Transwing flown from the USNS Burlington was initially conceived as a test bed, but it is proving to be a very powerful platform for developing critical technologies including mechanical systems, power and electronics, flight control navigation, command and control, and automation. Using the surprisingly robust XP-4 to design and test essential capabilities has enabled us to mitigate risks associated with the development of the larger XP-5 Transwing aircraft currently under development. Because of the XP-4’s success, our customers will benefit from a better Transwing platform and UAS systems that will reach the market sooner.  
  2. Real-World Operational Test Flights with the U.S. Navy Speed Technology Development: The HCFC event proved to be a terrific test bed to accelerate the development of uncrewed systems technologies and their integration into U.S. and allied naval operations. Flight testing from the USNS Burlington allowed us and other UAS system developers to gather indispensable real-world operational performance data you can’t get in any other environment. It was a valuable opportunity to learn from executing autonomous takeoffs and landings using computer vision, transitioning from VTOL to cruise flight performance, and navigating to and from a moving ship at sea. We are fortunate to participate in a program that will help us accelerate innovation.  
  3. You Can Move Mountains with Like-Minded Partners: The aerospace industry is dominated by large legacy players. Achieving a very big step forward in technology quickly means doing things differently – and better. The same old ways won’t work. What’s the way forward? As a smaller company, our success comes from the thoughtful cultivation of collaborative relationships with partners including Allocor.tech, FlightHouse Engineering, and Applied Navigation that have deep domain experience in areas like avionics and aero mechanical engineering.
    We view our strategic partners as team members. We work hard to nurture a shared vision to create win-win relationships and opportunities with the common goal of building the critical pieces of the Transwing platform and helping define the future of autonomous UAS. This strategy creates a force multiplier effect, and it has allowed a smaller company like PteroDynamics to rapidly design, build, and test innovations.  
  4. The Transwing Is a Rare Bird: The U.S. Navy needs shipboard-deployable multi-mission VTOL UAS systems. However, the benefits of operating contemporary UAS from Navy vessels only marginally overcome the negative impact to other ship operations. Years of testing and development by many companies have been unable to achieve the step change needed to truly integrate UAS into the fleet. At HCFC, it was clear all eyes were on PteroDynamics. We were the next kid on the block with something new and with real potential. We have a tremendous opportunity not only to demonstrate the unique capability of the Transwing technology, but also to show what a valuable tool it can be for the U.S. Navy and its allies. 

The Future: Make Maritime UAS Indispensable 

The challenge for everyone in the industry is to enhance existing mission capabilities with safer, more cost-effective UAS operations such as critical repair re-supply in adverse weather and combat environments where sending a manned asset is too risky.  PteroDynamics’ vision is to develop a great, versatile UAS VTOL aircraft with the utility and longevity to be a “30-year'' platform that can meet all of these challenges. 

In addition to the right mission capabilities, the eventual widespread use of UAS systems will depend on bringing down the operating costs. This means making them reliable, safe, and simple to operate. Getting to this point requires advances in automation technology to reduce operator workload without compromising safety, including allowing one operator to control multiple UAS aircraft that communicate with each other to complete missions. To that end, the Navy’s HFCE event and programs like it are an important step in the maturation of our industry. 

The Future of Commercial Maritime Resupply 

Air taxis and package deliveries dominate the headlines when it comes to unmanned aerial systems (UAS). However, the latest advances in automated vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS technology are set to disrupt a key part of the global economy: maritime logistics and resupply.

PteroDynamics’ successful demonstration in October of the advanced capabilities of its autonomous Transwing® VTOL UAS aircraft from the deck of the USNS Burlington offers a clear view into the future of autonomous maritime logistics beyond military applications. 

Every year, commercial shipping and energy companies spend millions of dollars on crewed helicopters and boats to deliver essential cargo including critical repair parts, software and hardware upgrades, test samples, medicine, and even bills of lading to tens of thousands of offshore oil and gas rigs, wind farms, and sea-going cargo vessels waiting to offload goods in port. 

Operational efficiency in the energy and global shipping sectors is an important yet expensive endeavor. Unplanned downtime in offshore oil and gas production results in losses amounting to $38 - $88 million annually, with an industry average of 27 days of downtime each year, according to GE’s Kimberlite report.1 Maintenance costs for wind turbines – which fail at least once annually – range from 1.5% to 2% of the original capital expenditure per annum.2 Nearly 100,000 commercial vessels greater than 100 gross tons ply the world’s oceans, making 4.4 million port calls per year.3 Though not as costly as helicopter flights, “hot shot” boat excursions to cargo vessels – even if needed just for required paperwork to dock in port – are difficult to schedule and cost an average of $3,000. 

Five Requirements That Will Make Maritime Resupply via Drones a Reality

Maritime resupply and logistics missions to and from cargo ships and offshore oil rigs by fleets of less expensive, highly automated VTOL UAS aircraft may not be too far off in the future. But making these missions a feasible reality requires some game-changing performance capabilities: 

  1. Superior VTOL performance in austere environmental conditions at sea
  2. Range and endurance that surpass the capabilities of current VTOL designs 
  3. Speed to reach remote locations quickly
  4. Safe, highly automated operations
  5. Significant reductions in cost

In short, these requirements call for autonomous UAS aircraft with superb VTOL capabilities that perform like a great fixed-wing aircraft – a perfect description for PteroDynamics’ Transwing.

What Makes the Transwing Different

What makes the Transwing revolutionary and so well suited to maritime resupply missions is a design that overcomes limitations inherent in other VTOL aircraft by combining the speed, range, and endurance of fixed-wing aircraft with superior VTOL performance in an efficient, highly automated platform.

The Transwing's folded wing configuration enables a high degree of controllability, providing excellent gust tolerance and the ability to take off and land in turbulent winds and high sea states. The aircraft unfolds its wings and transitions to a highly efficient fixed-wing aircraft for horizontal flight.

The design eliminates the extra weight and drag of multiple additional propulsors and support structures. This gives the Transwing greater range and endurance, plus the ability to fly at high speeds to reach remote locations without runways. Its folding wings mean it requires a small operational ground footprint and less space for easy storage – very important features when operating from oil rigs, offshore wind farms, or cargo vessels. 

Sea Trials 

The Transwing’s successful autonomous launch and recovery flights took place during the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet Hybrid Fleet Campaign  Event (HFCE), which was designed as a proving ground for integrating emerging unmanned systems into Naval operations. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti and other representatives from U.S. Navy, the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the Swedish Navy were present to see for themselves the capabilities from industry partners that could support the fleet. 

These exercise flights enabled us to evaluate the operational capabilities of the Transwing and collect valuable performance data in a real-world operational environment at sea. This information will accelerate the innovative work we are doing, and our close ongoing collaboration with leading industry partners like Allocor.tech, FlightHouse Engineering , and Applied Navigation enable us to rapidly design, build, and test new solutions.

Unlocking Greater Value with UAS Maritime Logistics 

As the technology matures, automated UAS aircraft like the Transwing can change the economics of maritime logistics and resupply for offshore oil and gas, offshore wind farms, and commercial shipping. Transwing VTOL aircraft have the range to deliver payloads farther out to sea in international waters, and they can provide more certainty in scheduling deliveries – and at a much lower cost than manned delivery alternatives. 

[1] GE Oil & Gas. The impact of Digital on Unplanned Downtime: An offshore Oil and Gas Perspective. Accessed November 2023. 

[2] Wind Measurement International. Operational and Maintenance Costs for Wind Turbines. Accessed November 2023.

[3] United Nations. Review of Maritime Transport 2000. Accessed October 2023.

PteroDynamics XP-4 Demonstrates High Wind Test Flight.

Watch as the PteroDynamics Transwing® undergoes a high-wind test flight, showcasing its power, precision, and agility. See the aerodynamic design that's revolutionizing the future of aviation.