Latitude Engineering LLC has developed a new concept for long endurance Vertical Takeoff and Landing. Utilizing the Cloud Cap Technologys Piccolo Autopilot, the firm has enabled a role-expanding capability for unmanned systems. The Hybrid Quadrotor is an innovative airframe technology which combines the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of a quadrotor and the efficiency, speed and range of a normal fixed-wing aircraft. The HQ offers significant advantages of existing runway independent unmanned air systems, including: reduced operational footprint no runway requirement, no approach obstacle issues, no launch/recovery infrastructure required; portability by eliminating launch and recovery equipment, there are significantly less items to transport and ship; lower initial system cost no launch and recovery infrastructure or expensive aircraft sensors required for VTOL capability; and reduced ongoing operational costs fewer complex and cumbersome system elements to maintain, fewer people required to operate the system.
