Watch Video: Piasecki Achieves Breakthrough “With First Flight of Tilt-Duct VTOL Aircraft”
U.S‑based Piasecki Aircraft recently announced the first flight of its proof of concept demonstration tilt-duct Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) Vehicle, reports a press release.
The flight, which consisted of two tethered hover flights, is the first step in a program to demonstrate the potential of ARES “to revolutionise autonomous airborne casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), cargo resupply, while providing other multi-mission capabilities in support of small distributed combat units,” explains the release. It is a program sponsored by the U.S. Air Force and Army under a USD37 million Funding Initiative.
ARES is a modular multi-mission tilt-duct VTOL aircraft that can be operated as an unmanned aerial system (UAS) or with an optional manned flight module.

The release continues, “It is designed with a small landing footprint to enable shipboard and expeditionary operations, as well as provide embedded multi-mission C4I, ISR, combat, and logistics support to small, distributed combat forces operating over extended distances and in complex terrain. Rapidly reconfigurable Mission Payload Modules are supported by a common Flight Module to deliver multi-mission flexibility with significantly reduced overall logistics footprint and cost.”
The ARES lifted off from Piasecki’s West Helipad in Essington, Pennsylvania and achieved a sustained hover of around one minute before descending. Upon landing, the team attached the U.S. Army’s Mobile Multiple Mission Module (M4) and conducted a second successful one-minute hover. These demonstrations were funded by an Army SBIR Sequential Phase II contract and an Air Force TACFI Sequential SBIR II award.
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John Piasecki, the company CEO commented, “Since its origins as a DARPA conceptual design project, Piasecki has led ARES through years of R&D, design iterations, component testing, system level validation, and more, to mature the technology leading up to today’s achievement.”
He added, “After successfully expanding the aircraft’s flight envelope, we will implement modifications to enable flight demonstration of a fully autonomous CASEVAC and logistics resupply capability.”
ARES features Honeywell Aerospace’s Compact Fly-By-Wire system, a lightweight but robust integrated flight control system. The release explains, “Designed to fit into the limited space available on smaller aircraft, the system provides safety-critical flight control capabilities typically found in much larger airliners and advanced fighter aircraft. It enables precise handling and stability across a wide range of flight conditions, thereby enhancing safety and performance — and is especially advantageous for VTOLs, where space is at a premium and weight efficiency is paramount.”
Dave Shilliday, VP and GM of Honeywell’s AAM, remarked, “The Compact Fly By Wire in the ARES Demonstrator not only showcases the ability of this technology to support a future multi-mission VTOL aircraft, but also the cooperation between Honeywell and Piasecki in a fast-moving program.”
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(Images: Piasecki)
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