A VTOL drone is a UAV that can take off and land vertically, similar to a helicopter. The VTOL drone is sometimes referred to as a VTOL UAV. People commonly use this phrase to refer to two types of UAVs: rotorcraft and VTOL fixed-wing drones. Multi-rotor drones, such as helicopters, hexacopters, and octocopters, are VTOLs that employ propellers attached to motors to lift themselves. VTOL fixed-wing drones, on the other hand, combine the features of multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones, taking off and landing vertically and having good cruise efficiency. VTOL aircraft can take off and land vertically before transitioning to horizontal flight without sacrificing endurance or efficiency. A multirotor that has at least four propellers is used in fixed-wing VTOL UAVs.
Industry Demand
According to OMR Research, during the forecast period, the global large-sized fixed-wing VTOL UAV market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2%. (2023-2029). The multiple advantages of VTOL UAVs are propelling the industry. The benefits of VTOL drones over fixed-wing unmanned aircraft are numerous. They take far less room to launch and recover since they do not require a runway. They are well-suited for applications such as inspection and monitoring, where the drone must remain in a fixed place for an extended period of time. They are more maneuverable than fixed-wing unmanned aircraft since they can modify the relative speed of each rotor, resulting in variations in thrust and torque.
The vehicle is designed primarily for low take-off weight and excellent aerodynamic efficiency. The military is a major end-user of fixed-wing VTOL aircraft. Increased defense spending stimulates the use of sophisticated technology, such as fixed-wing VTOL UAVs, for a variety of military uses. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), overall global military expenditure rose by 0.7% in real terms to $2,113 billion in 2021. The five greatest spenders in 2021 were the US, China, India, the UK, and Russia, which accounted for 62% of total spending.
Fixed-wing VTOL UAVs are also widely utilized in commercial applications such as photography, product delivery, monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, and wildlife study and preservation. They are also utilized in the agricultural, real estate, mining, and oil and gas sectors. To identify any damage or hazard, the oil and gas industry generally depends largely on road vehicles and manned aircraft (i.e., helicopters). Both approaches are more costly and inefficient than VTOL UAVs. VTOL UAVs capture an endless amount of data in real time and present the user with a far broader range of information. These devices allow oil and gas firms to receive customized data and information without incurring any maintenance costs. The corporation can manage a single UAV or a whole fleet and watch occurrences in real time through video. All of these reasons are expected to drive the growth of the large-sized fixed-wing VTOL UAV market.
Recent Developments
AeroVironment, Inc., Aevum, Alpha Unmanned Systems, ALTI UAS (Pty) Ltd., CybAero, DZYNE Technologies, Ewatt Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., IAI Groups, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and other market players are aiding in the market’s growth through various mergers, acquisitions, and new technological launch activities. Some of the recent developments in the market include:
• In December 2022, Lentola Logistics, a Finnish firm, announced plans to begin a pilot program to distribute newspapers by drone to the people of Saarikylät, an area spanning seven settlements on several islands in one of Finland's numerous lakes. The study will take place over three months in 2023, with Lentola Logistics' tail-sitting VTOL drone delivering a few newspapers every flight—or as many as its 3.5 kg internal payload can store.
• In September 2022, In September 2022, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US launched a new initiative aimed at creating next-generation vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. DARPA wants to build a drone capable of VTOL launches and landings without the use of specific infrastructure as part of the AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY X-Plane (ANCILLARY) program. The ANCILLARY drone is planned to be capable of landing and taking off on ship decks as well as in rugged terrain, regardless of weather. The drone will also feature low weight, high payload, and long endurance characteristics.
• In May 2022, Tekever, a European provider of maritime surveillance, released a new version of its AR3 unmanned aerial system (UAS). The AR3 now has "hot-swappable" vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, allowing it to transition from horizontal to vertical launch. It now includes synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The newly integrated SAR gives the AR3 a far larger operational range as well as the capacity to detect, classify, and identify targets in any weather condition. The new AR3 is ideal for wide-area surveillance missions, covering more than 20,000 square nautical miles per mission.
• In April 2022, at the E-Commerce Logistics Summit 2022 in Mumbai, Gurgaon-based leading drone delivery firm TechEagle unveiled the Vertiplane X3, India's fastest hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (e-VTOL) drone. The recently unveiled drone combines the skills of a helicopter and an airliner, enabling it to take off and land vertically like a helicopter without requiring a runway.