SBIR-STTR Award

The AT Heavy Lift Transporter is a unique heavy-lift 3000 pound cargo or 12 person helicopter that uses 4 large traditional helicopter rotors instead of smaller quad copter propellers to make it the worlds most efficient helicopter.  Large helicopter rotors actually are much more efficient for thrust than a propeller because the larger the propeller/rotor size the better the amount of thrust.  The Heavy Lift Transporter (HLT) uses quad copter control and has an additional function of helicopter cyclic and collective control when needed which makes it even safer than a propeller that only pushes air in one direction.  The HLT has no tail rotors so it is much less than 4 helicopters and is safer than a large traditional helicopter because it has smaller (easy to maintain general aviation engines) with no complex big helicopter transmissions that can easily fail.  With less than 50% the cost per hour in fuel and maintenance to the closest traditional helicopter competitor it will become the ideal commuter helicopter in the civilian world, and will also become the ideal utility helicopter for the US Military.

The proposed vehicle is a heavy-lift long-endurance pilot-optional fly-by-wire vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that will provide the cargo delivery, personnel transport, and SOF support that the USAF, US Army, USN, USMC, and USSOCOM need immediately to counter the current shortage of helicopters and aircrews. The AT Heavy Lift Transporter will not only support these missions at a lower cost, but with a vehicle that is more reliable, safer, and more efficient than any helicopter. Since 2010 Advanced Tactics has been the world leader in heavy-lift VTOL UAVs, including the pilot-optional Black Knight Transformer with a maximum gross takeoff weight of 4,500 pounds. AT has utilized a wide range of propulsion systems for UAVs, including fuel/heavy-fuel engines and electric/solar propulsion systems. Advanced Tactics Inc. is a pioneer in heavy-lift VTOL vehicles and holds numerous patents on this technology. The Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Co. team-member has been building helicopters for over 50 years, and Georgia Tech. is a team member that is world famous for aeronautical engineering. Potential users of long-range heavy-lift VTOL vehicles include package delivery services (FedEx/UPS), as well as mining and oil companies. AT has a pending contract with a large Alaska mining company for the AT Heavy Lift Transporter (HLT) for experimental testing. Potential government users include the Forest Service, the Dept. of the Interior, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.