"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:

• that are mission-critical or of high-value;
• that need to reach remote or hard-to-reach locations with no runways, often in harsh environmental conditions;
• that are time-sensitive;
• and that would otherwise be expensive and resource-intensive to deliver.
  

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:

• Maritime logistics support for commercial shipping and offshore oil and gas and wind farms: Offshore helicopter services is projected to grow from $1 billion in 2023 to $5.11 billion by 2032, with goods and transport accounting for 19.4% of the total in 2023. Major players like Bristow Group, PHI Group, and CHC Group are currently investing in UAS. 
• First responder support: Valued at $3.2 billion in 2023, drones for emergency responders is estimated to grow to $9.6 billion by 2032, a compound annual growth rate of over 13%.
• Automated cargo delivery for defense, mining, energy, and remote research facilities: The global mining logistics market size totaled $28.9 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to over $75 billion by 2030. 
• Linear inspection for rail lines, power grid transmission lines, and oil and gas lines and facilities: Solar farms, wind turbines, damns and water systems, rail lines, and pipelines all require regular inspection and maintenance. Manned helicopter inspections of powerlines can cost $2,500 per hour to cover 16 pylons. 
• Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions for public safety and defense 

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.