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BNA Tiltrotor UAV is Flight Ready

The new tiltrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Alesta, developed by BNA - Nurol BAE Systems Air Systems, will make its first flight in the coming days.

Date: Issue 100 - August 2020

Nurol BAE Systems Air Systems (BNA), which has been working on a different UAV concept under the coordination of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), has introduced the Alesta Unmanned Aircraft solution with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability for the use of security forces.

Alesta’s configuration is unique compared to other UAVs. The vehicle can take-off and land with its wings in the vertical position and fly like a fixed-wing aircraft when switched to horizontal flight by rotating its wings. Combining the advantages of fixed-wing planes and helicopters, Alesta doesn’t need a runway that fixed-wing aircraft require thanks to VTOL capable tilting-wings. When transitioned to horizontal flight mode, the UAV can take advantage of the lift created by the fixed wing to fly longer distances than helicopters. Alesta, which has an environmentally friendly electric motor and propulsion system, is designed to perform all tasks in a fully autonomous manner. Electric motor propulsion units distributed on every wing brings increased flight safety through fault tolerance. Autonomous mission execution capability beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) is a key requirement for integration into regulated air space in the future.