VTOL drones may be versatile, but the weight and aerodynamic drag of their extra hardware results in a shorter range than that of their fixed-wing-only counterparts. That's where the FLARES system comes in, as it lets fixed-wing drones make vertical takeoffs and landings.
Its name an acronym for Flying Launch and Recovery System, FLARES is manufactured by Oregon-based aerospace company Hood Tech. Although it can be utilized in a variety of scenarios, it's designed mainly for use on ship decks.
At the heart of the system is the FLARES aircraft itself.
It's a multicopter drone with four propeller arms, each arm with two propellers sitting one above the other at the end. On the underside of the craft is a mechanism that clasps onto the body of a third-party fixed-wing drone.
When it's time to take off, the FLARES drone rises straight up into the air, carrying the fixed-wing drone with it. Once it reaches the desired altitude, the copter dashes forward and releases the other drone, which goes straight into forward flight. The FLARES copter then simply goes back down to the deck, while the fixed-wing drone proceeds on its mission.
When the fixed-wing drone returns, the FLARES drone flies back up into the air, pulling a long rope between itself and the deck. The fixed-wing drone purposely flies into that rope, catching it with one of its wing hooks. When the copter subsequently lands back on the deck, the undamaged drone is lowered down along with it.
Boeing subsidiary Insitu is now offering a VTOL package which includes its unmodified Integrator fixed-wing drone and Hood's FLARES system. The Integrator can reportedly fly for up to 16 hours at a time while carrying a maximum payload of 40 lb (18 kg), which Insitu claims wouldn't be possible if the aircraft was weighed down with its own integrated VTOL system.
The following video shows the Integrator Vertical Take-off and Landing Unmanned Aircraft System in action.
